


Partners in Crime

by trajektoria



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Banter, Comedy, Crack, Day Off, Domestic Fluff, Don't mess with them, Feels, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Reyes is a badass and so is Scott, Reyes is a good boyfriend, Space Husbands, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-13
Updated: 2018-11-07
Packaged: 2018-12-27 17:56:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 29,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12086304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trajektoria/pseuds/trajektoria
Summary: A collection of mreyder prompts and oneshots of various length and genres published initially on my blog. Mostly fluff. Sometimes angst. Occasionally smut.





	1. Sweeter than Coffee

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to [captainjennhart](http://captainjennhart.tumblr.com/) who always keeps my English right.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beginnings of a relationship are never easy. Especially if your boyfriend’s squadmates pretty much hate you. Reyes doesn’t let that bother him. Not when he’s on a quest to bring Scott a delicious mug of coffee.

**"Things you said that I wasn’t meant to hear"**

 

 

Reyes never slept much, that was just how things were. There was always so much to do, so many things requiring his immediate and undivided attention that being dead to the world for more than a bare minimum of hours seemed like a horrible waste of time. His body was so used to this ascetic regime that even on his rare days off he simply couldn’t force himself to sleep in. At the break of dawn, or whatever equivalent it had in deep space, he laid wide awake staring at the quarters’ ceiling, no trace of drowsiness lingering in his mind.

That had its perks though. Reyes turned his head to the right, a fond smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Unlike him, Scott had zero problems with sleeping – he slept, one could even say, with enthusiasm, mouth parted and drooling obliviously on his pillow.

Lo and behold the mighty Pathfinder.

The thought that he was the only one privileged enough to see Scott like this, so vulnerable, unkempt, almost childlike, warmed Reyes’ heart to a degree he did not anticipate. The things that man did to him, unbelievable…

A month or so had passed since the Charlatan’s coup d'état in Kadara Port and it was only Reyes’ second night he got to spend on the Tempest. But things were looking good on all fronts, more than Reyes had dared to expect even in his most optimistic prognoses. He had been preparing himself mentally that Scott – Scott, the paragon of virtue who flew across the galaxy helping people and saving mankind– would reject him as soon as he learned the whole truth, truth of all the shady and questionable things Reyes had done. But no. Scott understood that things were rarely black and white, Scott accepted him for who he was, good and bad. Reyes knew that he was a lucky man to have found someone like Scott. He didn’t deserve him, not by a long shot.

Reyes felt the overwhelming urge to wrap his arms around his lover. Not being one to refuse himself much, he shifted closer to Scott, his hand resting on his shoulder blade, his lips pressing to his forehead.

Scott stirred, sighing softly. A warm, boneless mass against Reyes’ chest. Barely lucid, he instinctively reached out for his lover, his fingers curling on the tawny hip. Scott didn’t open his eyes yet. Maybe that was for the best – he couldn’t see the embarrassingly mushy expression on Reyes’ face.

“Rey…?” he mumbled, his lips tickling Reyes’ neck as he spoke.

“Yes?” He carded his hand through the mess of hair on Scott’s head, massaging his scalp gently. Scott liked that, the tender motion always seemed to soothe him. It worked like magic even now, making the Pathfinder sigh again with contentment.

“…fee…”

“What?”  

“…coffee…”

“Coffee?” Reyes echoed with amusement. “You want some?”

“…mhm…”

“As you wish.” Reyes chuckled, nuzzling against his cheek. “One coffee coming right up.”

A languid smile curved Scott’s lips.

“Love you,” he said, warm glints of affection flickering in his half-opened, heavy-lidded eyes, still clouded with remnants of whatever dream he was having.

The sight completely melted Reyes’ heart. Smiling like a fool, he kissed Scott’s temple, the corner of his eye, his cheek, before finally letting their lips meet in a surprisingly chaste union, almost an antithesis of the lustful kisses they shared in the evening.

“Be right back,” Reyes said, stroking Scott’s chest before finally sliding away from his lover towards the edge of the bed. He let his bare feet fall onto the cold floor and then stood up, stretching his stiff muscles. Although the temperature on the Tempest was optimal for humans and other humanoid species, it still felt chilly against his naked skin, warmed so perfectly by Scott’s pliant body. He missed it already.

No, his thoughts shouldn’t wander off in that direction or he’d just dive straight back in to bed and never leave.

With an inward sigh, he located his pants under a chair, thrown there haphazardly the night before. He picked them up, aware of Scott’s gaze on him.

“Enjoying the view?” he asked, turning to his lover. Just as expected, Scott, still not fully awake, observed him with a relaxed smile playing on his lips.

“Mhm.”

Reyes shook his head and put the pants on.

“I expect something in return for that coffee. I am, after all, a greedy man.”

“I know… A kiss, then?”

“Not good enough.”

“Two?”

“At least five.”

“Four and a half,” Scott said with mock sternness. “Final offer.”

Reyes laughed, feeling another burst of sentiment towards that impossible man.

“Deal. You drive a hard bargain.”

“Been taught by the best.”

They exchanged telling glances and smiles like true partners in crime.

This relationship shouldn’t have worked, all evidence pointed to its inevitable destruction. How could love bloom freely between the human Pathfinder, a symbol of hope for the whole of Andromeda, and the Charlatan, the head of a criminal organization ruling over Kadara Port? But somehow it did, against all odds.

“Incredible.”

“Hm?”

“The coffee I’m going to prepare for you,” said Reyes smoothly, giving his lover his signature wink.

Hearing Scott chuckle, Reyes walked across the room to the door. He hesitated before pressing the button though. His current looks were hardly… presentable. Wearing only his pants, with disheveled hair and enough love bites on his skin not to leave much to the imagination of what he and Scott were doing the night before, he was bound to scandalize the crew, who didn’t hold very high opinions of him in the first place.

Oh well, it was still early, surely no one would be up at this ungodly hour, he thought as he punched the door open.

As soon as he stepped into the kitchen, he understood how wrong he was. Jaal and Liam were sitting at the table, empty bottle of wine in front of them, and chatting about something animatedly. At least until they spotted Reyes. The atmosphere then soured at once. Both the angara and the human gave him unfriendly stink eyes reserved perhaps for something filthy that stuck to the sole of your shoe.

Well then, an excellent start.

“Morning,” Reyes said in a neutral tone as if he hadn’t noticed the icy cold reception. They didn’t reply. It didn’t bother him too much though. Tons of people hated him, that was basically in the job description. Two more didn’t make much of a difference, he was used to it.

Unperturbed, he opened the cupboard and took out Scott’s favorite mug – the one with the Brave Heart Lion from the old Care Bears cartoon. What a nerd. Reyes caught himself smiling like a goofball as he started the coffee machine. Scott’s blend of choice contained more milk, caramel syrup and sugar than the coffee itself, he knew that by now. Sweet drink for a sweet boy.

God, he couldn’t believe he had just thought something that cheesy. Scott brought out the worst sap in him. And Reyes wasn’t entirely sure if he minded that.

Reyes was so caught up in his own musings that he had nearly forgotten he wasn’t alone in the kitchen. A grunt full of disapproval and even more disapproving words reminded him of that quite successfully.

“I don’t like you,” announced Jaal.

It was hard not to laugh, but Reyes managed to keep a straight face.

“And here I thought we could toast s’mores and sing kumbaya together.”

“I don’t understand what you are referring to, but we will certainly not do that.”

“Well, there go my weekend plans…”

“Listen, smartass,” Liam chimed in, openly hostile. “You’re not welcome on this ship.”

“No, really? I can’t believe it, everyone’s so nice to me,” Reyes deadpanned, casting a brief, almost bored glance at the man. This indifferent reaction only infuriated Liam even more.

“It’s a disgrace that you’re here,” Liam slurred, the alcohol making him more direct with his resentment. “You’re a bloody exile and a criminal, you should be in prison.“

Reyes felt the anger rushing through his veins, but he bit back the reply, not showing that the words had fazed him in any way. There was no point trying to engage in a conversation with any of them. All he had to do was wait until the machine spat out the fancy coffee for Scott and he’d be out of here in a blink of an eye.

But Liam wasn’t done yet. He scoffed and rolled his eyes.

“Honestly, Scott must be a bigger idiot than we thought to trust you.”

It was as if a thunderbolt hit him straight in the chest. He spun around to face them, his muscles tensed and ready for a fight.

“Leave him out of this,” he snarled, making Liam and Jaal stare at him with surprise, and maybe with fear too. “You don’t like me and insulting me is your new hobby? Fine, I’ve heard worse. But don’t you fucking dare talk shit about Scott.”

“Yeah, as if you care about him,” Liam said scornfully. “You’re just using him for his connections, we all know that. Only Scott is too naive to see it.”

Reyes narrowed his eyes, seething and truly wounded. It… well, it was a painful thing to hear. If the crew thought that about him, could Scott be swayed too one day?

“We’re watching you. When you hurt him we will eject you into space.” Jaal wasn’t joking. “With pleasure.”

Reyes grit his teeth, clenching his fists. _When_? They went too far. Implying that he was here to hurt Scott? No, he couldn’t stand for it, he wouldn’t.

“Same applies to you,” he said, his voice sharp like a blade of a knife.

“What?” Liam replied, puzzled. Reyes smiled, but this smile had no humor in it. It was a warning.

“You’re all so self-righteous, looking down and passing judgment, and yet you seem to forget who I really am. I’m not just some smuggler nobody. I’m the Charlatan. If any of you so much as looks at Scott in a funny way, you’ll have the wrath of the whole Collective on your asses. Just so we’re clear, it’s a two way alley. You may keep an eye on me, but I’m keeping mine on you just as much. Hurt him and you’ll die. Painfully.”

A soft _ding_ cut through the silence that enveloped the room – the coffee was ready. Reyes took the mug and walked out of the kitchen, not gracing Liam and Jaal with even a passing glance. He didn’t have to, he knew they were both staring at him in stunned silence.

* * *

Hearing the sound the machine made, Scott backed away slowly, returning to his room. His heart raced in his chest. He hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but he got bored waiting and decided to join his boyfriend in the kitchen. But what he heard… Reyes’ words resounded with devotion, care and power. Scott was slightly frightened. And touched. And turned on, all at once.

He needed to have a serious talk with his crew though.

Scott kicked off his pants and slipped under the sheets again as if he had never left. Reyes walked in a moment later, a steaming mug in his hands.

Scott looked closely at his lover’s face, trying to read his thoughts on what had happened in the kitchen. Reyes was so good at clamming up, at hiding his emotions, burying them deep beneath the surface of a suave charmer. But Scott couldn’t be fooled. He saw the hurt in his lover’s eyes, despite his efforts to smile.  

“Here you are. One coffee, just as requested,” Reyes said, sitting at the edge of the bed. Scott sat up as well, taking the mug carefully. The smell told him that Reyes had remembered how he liked to take his coffee. That was really sweet.

“Thank you.” Scott hesitated, unsure if he should do it. But he felt like he must. He set the mug aside on the nightstand. Reyes looked at him quizzically.

 “I... I care about you. A lot,” Scott said, pouring his heart into these words, his hand reaching to Reyes’ cheek. “And nothing and no one can change that. I just wanted you to know that,” he added, a little embarrassed.

But Reyes looked at him with nothing but adoration, his eyes lively and bright again.

“Thank you, Scott. I needed to hear that.” His words were soft, just as his lips when he gave Scott a kiss. And then another, locking him in a warm embrace.

The coffee stood on the nightstand completely forgotten.


	2. Surfer Boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day off on a sunny Kadara. Fluff and humor.

**“This is, by far, the dumbest thing you’ve ever done.”**

 

“This is, by far, the dumbest thing you’ve ever done, Scott,” said Reyes with conviction, although the shadow of a smile playing in the corner of his lips made the criticism feel somewhat empty. “And I’ve seen you do plenty of dumb.”

“Honestly, I’m starting to feel more and more like an underappreciated genius,” Scott replied with a cheeky grin. “Talk about casting pearls before swine!”

“Don’t worry, like any genius you’ll be properly appreciated after you die. Which, at this rate, will happen in just a few minutes.”

Scott simply laughed.

Reyes took a sip of the bluish drink he held in his hand. He wasn’t sure what it was – some angaran alcohol made out of a local equivalent of berries that Keema procured – but it tasted great. The Tempest crew tried to coax him into playing beach volleyball with them but he was fine exactly where he was: lying on a blanket, soaking up the sun, and enjoying his drink in peace.

Days off for the Pathfinder and his team were a rarity that needed to be treasured. And what better way to do that than spend holidays on Kadara with its many beautiful lakes, now completely cleansed of acid after the vault started operating again? Reyes had discovered this spot quite a while ago and made sure that the Collective protected it from bandits and such. Precisely for occasions like these.

“Okay, ready, baby bro?” Sara’s voice pulled Reyes back to reality. The female Ryder stood in the lake wearing a two-piece Initiative bathing suit, water reaching to her shins, while her twin ventured a little farther into the depths, climbing onto a surfboard with an exasperated expression on his face.

“You’re a minute older than me. A minute!”

“Don’t talk back to your elders, kiddo.”

Scott groaned, standing tall and proud on the board, bending his legs a little to keep his balance. Reyes couldn’t help butlet his eyes wander along his lover’s body, covered only with dark swimming trunks. All the muscles tensing nicely under his skin, so pale and incapable of tanning even under Kadara’s blazing sun. Well, Reyes enjoyed the view, he couldn’t lie. Even if he was slightly anxious about Scott’s brilliant new idea and how it could end. Trying to get anything out of Scott’s head once he decided on it was a lost cause though, so all Reyes could do was to watch, worry, and hope for the best.

“Ready, Sara. Do your worst.”

“You betcha.” With that, Sara lifted her arms, which lit up with purplish biotic energy. She directed it at the water surface, making it warp and swirl in an unnatural manner for an otherwise peaceful lake. ****

Scott whooped cheerfully when the water bulged under the board. He twisted his hips, commanding the board and trying to find the best way to ride the wave. Small at first, it rose to an almost frightening size. But Scott wanted precisely that, enjoying every moment of being on top of the biotics-induced wave.

A small smile playing on his lips, Reyes watched how truly in his element the Pathfinder seemed to be. His hair was unkempt and wet, his eyes glistened with joy, exertion painted his cheeks red and a huge grin adorned his face. Like a kid who had gotten their dream toy for Christmas.

Adorable.

Yeah, it was a good day and Reyes congratulated himself for making it happen.

After twenty minutes or so the fun had to be cut short due to Sara’s growing tiredness and boredom. Cora didn’t want to have anything to do with it (perhaps because her volleyball team was actually winning) and Scott was smart enough not to trust Peebee with such a precise task, rightfully fearing that the asari would drown him on accident. Scott didn’t seem too upset though, probably having gotten his fix of adrenaline already.

“Hey, you wanna try, maybe?” Scott asked, stepping out of the lake with the board under his arm, dripping water all over. Again, a very enticing sight.

“I don’t think so. Never surfed before and I’m perfectly happy where I am, as I have already told your team,” replied Reyes.

“Oww, don’t be like that.” Scott extended a wet hand to him, making his best puppy eyes. “It will be fun.”

Those damn puppy eyes.

“Okay, _fine_.” Reyes chugged down the rest of the drink, put the glass away and took the offered hand, letting his lover lead him towards the lake.

“I hope you at least know how to swim. It would be a shame to see such a handsome man go under,” Scott teased, but two could play at that game.

“Ryder, I was a swimming champion while you were still running around in diapers.”

“Sure you were.” There was something deeply satisfying in making Scott laugh. His whole face always brightened up and with it the world around him. “We’ll see how you handle the board then.”

Not too well, apparently. When Reyes finally managed to climb onto the damn thing after numerous attempts, he fell into the lake instantly, creating quite a remarkable splash.

If he wanted to make Scott laugh he was doing a great job, up to the point of having his ego bruised.

“In all my years I’ve never seen such a landlubber before!” Scott smirked.

“Oh, shut up, you.” Reyes flung some water into his lover’s face and dived right into the water, swimming away. He heard Scott shouting after him and commencing the chase. Perfect. That was the plan.

Despite the surfboard disaster, Reyes was actually quite a good swimmer so Scott couldn’t catch up to him easily. Reyes only allowed that to happen once they reached the other side of the lake, stopping a few feet from the bank when they could feel the bottom under their feet. The Tempest crew looked from afar like a bunch of bouncy, colorful dots.

“Hey, I hope you’re not mad, I was just joking,” Scott said, a little out of breath, his voice betraying some notes of anxiety. It was precious that after all the pranks and teasing Scott always made sure that no one got hurt or felt bad. The Pathfinder was a good person, simple as that. How could that not disarm Reyes completely and melt his heart?

“No, of course not.” He moved closer to him, putting his arms around Scott’s waist. His lover reacted on instinct and wrapped his around Reyes’ neck. “I just wanted us to go somewhere more private.”

“Oh yeah? Why?” Scott smiled, his eyes glistening, darkening as his pupils dilated.

Reyes leaned towards him. As he whispered into his ear, he felt the shiver running through Scott’s body.

“Because I’ve been thinking all day about getting you out of these trunks.”

Scott laughed, amused and aroused.

“Wow. You’re a real romantic.”

“But it’s working, is it not?”

“Maybe it is…” Scott admitted with a smile, leaning in for a kiss.


	3. Conquest of Spaces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott needs a hug and he gets it. 
> 
> hurt/comfort, fluff, Reyes in a good boyfriend

**Things you said with too many miles between us**

 

The life of a Pathfinder was nothing if not unpredictable. One moment Scott was helping to gather some minerals on Elaaden, the next came a distress call from the resistance on Voeld. Still, even amidst all this hectic mess – or maybe because of it – he found comfort in establishing a small routine, things repeated almost every single day that helped to ground him no matter which corner of the galaxy he was in at the moment: ungodly amounts of cereal for breakfast, a morning hug from Jaal, feeding the Pyjak forbidden snacks behind Lexi’s back. And of course daily calls to Reyes, right before Scott turned in for the night.

It felt nice to see his lover’s face and hear his voice broadcasted through the infinite void, even if it wasn’t nearly enough to fully quench the longing Scott felt. They always chatted a bit about what interesting things had happened to them that day and joked a little, exchanging cheesy lines or bad puns. Sometimes the conversation took a turn into naughty territory when they hadn’t seen one another for a long time and were itching for a release.

Scott adored their talks, the time devoted to no one else but each other, the comforting assurance that they both were alive and well, which wasn’t a given with the kind of lifestyle they both lead.  

Today Scott needed to see Reyes more than ever.

Lying on the bed in his quarters, one hand under his head, the other with the omni-tool in front of his face, he told SAM to make the call.

“Good evening, Kadara,” Scott said as soon as his lover’s smiling face appeared on the display. Reyes must have been waiting for the call because he picked up almost instantly.

“Ryder. How is my favorite Pathfinder doing today?” he asked in an upbeat tone. But the cheerfulness gradually faded from his face the longer he stared at Scott. He could always read him like a book. “Are you okay?” His words were caring, gentle, inspiring confidence and urging Scott to open up. And Scott needed that kind of encouragement to pour his heart out, the certainty that he would be heard.

“No. Not really,” he sighed, using his free hand to rub at his temple. He wondered if he looked as tired and dispirited as he felt.

“What happened?”

Scott took a deep breath and let the words flow.

“I was on Eos today when I heard that some of the people from the outpost went to explore the remnant ruins, even though I told them over and over again that it’s dangerous and they should stay away. I drove there as fast as I could but…” Scott paused, closing his eyes. When he opened them again, they were filled with anguish. “I arrived too late. The remnants tore them all to shreds right in front of me. I couldn’t do anything, I couldn’t save them. If only I was faster…”

“Scott, stop,” Reyes interrupted him, adamant but still sympathetic. “You can’t blame yourself for their stupidity. What happened wasn’t your fault.”

Scott heaved a sigh. A heavy burden of guilt weighed on his chest, one that he just couldn’t shake off.

“I know. I know, but…”He paused, his mournful eyes telling more than words ever could. “I wish you were here with me right now,” he whispered, sounding hopeless and pathetic to his own ears.  

But Reyes looked at him not with scorn, but with tenderness.

“I wish I was.”

The silence that fell was full of tension, vibrating with the vastness of space between them, the light years keeping them apart when the only thing they wanted was to be in one another’s arms.

Reyes was first to speak up.

“SAM?”

Scott couldn’t hide his surprise when Reyes addressed the AI. Especially since SAM responded immediately.

“ _Yes, Reyes?_ ”

“Could you do something for me?”

“ _Yes. As long as it does not go against my programming or against the Pathfinder’s wellbeing or wishes_.”

“No, it’s nothing like that. Could you… could you make Scott feel as if I’m holding him? I think he needs that.”

“ _Certainly._ ”

“What? Reye–” Scott gasped when the sensation of being enveloped in a pair of strong arms spread through his body. The pressure against his skin, the warmth, it all felt so real. Scott’s throat clenched as he tried to rein in his emotions. Still, he couldn’t deny that the weight on his chest became lighter. 

“Better?” Reyes asked.

“Yeah. Thank you.”

“Go to sleep. I’ll watch over you.”

Scott tried to protest, but all it took was a little gentle coaxing and he soon gave up. He closed his eyes and fell asleep quicker than he would have expected, safe in the imaginary embrace.

Reyes dawdled with ending the call, observing how Scott’s chest moved steadily with every breath he took, the expression on his face peaceful at last.

“SAM?” he asked once again.

“ _Yes?_ ”

“Can you help me with one more thing?”

“ _With what, Reyes?_ ”

“Tell me where you will be touching down in the morning.”

 

* * *

 

Of all the things Scott expected to find at the next port, Reyes, who had apparently flown like a madman the entire night to get there before him, wasn’t one of them. Surprised and touched, Scott was only too happy to confirm that no sensory substitute of a hug could compare to the real thing given freely and with love.

 


	4. Fatal Mistake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If you're thinking about messing with the Charlatan and the Pathfinder just don't. Really, don't.

**“It must be hard with your sense of direction, never being able to find your way to a decent pickup line.”**

Reyes took another sip of his whiskey and nonchalantly checked the time on his omni-tool. Scott was half an hour late to their meeting in Tartarus. Rude, but not completely unheard of. The life of the Pathfinder was full of surprises, and because of that punctuality suffered sometimes. Usually, though, Scott called him to let him know that something came up and he couldn’t make it on time. Things happened, Reyes knew that better than most, so he wasn’t worried in the least, just relaxing and enjoying his drink.

Another half an hour later, he still wasn’t alarmed. Not at all. Habitually checking the hour and his messages was just a way to pass the time, nothing more. Reyes finished his whiskey, but didn’t order another one, preferring to have a clear head. Just in case. His fingers tapped on the table as he wondered what Scott was up to. After yet another half an hour he contacted some of his people to confirm that the Tempest was still docked at the landing zone. Then he used his vast network of spies to find out where Scott could be. It turned out that someone had seen him briefly about two hours ago in the slums but after that POOF, nothing. The Pathfinder seemed to have disappeared into thin air. Now Reyes was properly worried.

“What did you get yourself into?” he muttered, considering what he should do now. If needed, he would move heaven and earth to find him. For now, maybe he should divert more members of the Collective to the slums and–

The signal of an incoming call broke his chain of thoughts. He looked at his omni-tool and breathed out with relief when he saw the name of the caller.

Scott.

Finally. Reyes laughed to himself to mask his embarrassment. Honestly, he fretted too much over Scott. He was the Pathfinder, for God’s sake, of course he’d be fine. In higher spirits, Reyes pushed the button to answer.

“Ryder. Did your watch malfunction?” he asked in a light tone, with some shades of flirting thrown in for good measure.

“Vidal.”

Reyes’ blood ran cold. That voice didn’t belong to Scott. It was a woman’s voice, a turian perhaps? Full of smugness and a thinly veiled contempt.

Even though he wanted to scream and snarl at her, he kept his voice calm, casual even. The Charlatan had balls of steel.

“You have me at the disadvantage here.”

“Ha, we’ll meet soon enough, face to face. Eight o’clock sharp, first cave in the Sulphur Springs on the left. Come alone.”

Reyes narrowed his eyes, hatred burning in his veins, but his tone remained amiable.

“I don’t know, I already have plans for the evening.”

“Oh yeah?” she growled. His composure had obviously thrown her off-balance. “Hope they didn’t include the Pathfinder because if you don’t show up he’s gonna bite the bullet. Same if you bring an entourage.”

Reyes grit his teeth. She was calling from Scott’s omni-tool, so he didn’t doubt that she, whoever she was, had truly somehow gotten to Scott. And it was pissing him off. But time for anger would come later.

“I want to hear his voice. Need to know that he’s unharmed.”

There were urgent whispers and some shuffling. After a moment the device seemed to have been transported back to its rightful owner.

“Reyes?”

Scott sounded a little groggy and hoarse, as if he had just woken up, but not in pain. Reyes was careful not to show his relief.

“Scott. Are you okay?”

“Yeah… They took me down with a sleeping dart, can you believe this bullshit?”

It took all Reyes’ self-control not to burst out laughing. The last remnants of worry disappeared from his heart. Scott wasn’t hurt, he was  _enraged_. And that didn’t bode well for the bandits.

“I’m coming for you. Don’t do anything stupid until I get there.”

“Reyes, I don’t need–“

“Promise me.”

A beat of a pause. Reyes could almost see the gears turning in Scott’s head.

“Okay. Fine. But you better show up soon. Or I’ll–“

“That’s enough.” The woman’s voice cut him off brutally. Reyes thought that he’d be happy to cut off her head. “And you better  _do_  show up, Vidal. Or else.”

The call ended.

Reyes sighed, shook his head, but then a smile appeared on his face. Well, this was going to be interesting. In more ways than the woman could even imagine.

* * *

“Hello? I’m here!” Reyes yelled as he walked through the cave, making as much noise as possible. He found himself in a huge, dimmed cavern, pretending not to see three thugs skulking in the shadows. He almost tsked at them. What amateurs, honestly this was just pathetic. Criminals these days…

Suddenly, all the lights went on.

“Haha! You fell into my trap!” The turian woman stepped to the middle of the room, grinning triumphantly. She held an assault rifle in her hands, aiming it at him. Reyes blinked and sized her up without much interest. He vaguely recognized her as a member of one of the gangs who tried to cut a slice of his smuggling business. A small fry, no one significant. Certainly not someone with whom he should be concerned.

“It seems I did,” he said, bored. Sensing a person standing behind him, their gun trained on his head, didn’t change that.

“Now I can take you out, Vidal, and take over your clients!” She really seemed very excited at the prospect.

Reyes ignored her. Instead he turned his attention to the metal cage on the other side of the cavern, which housed the Pathfinder. Scott stood there, leaning against the bars. He looked unscathed. And irritated like a hornet on its bad day. He also wasn’t bothered that one of the goons was targeting him with a pistol.

There was something deeply comforting in the fact that neither of them seemed to give a shit.

“You okay, babe?” Reyes asked.

Scott rubbed his temple. “Worst hangover ever and I haven’t even drunk anything.”

Reyes laughed. “We’re gonna rectify that later.”

The leader of the gang looked stunned, as if unable to believe the scene unfolding before her very eyes.

“There won’t be any  _later_  for you two!” she yelled, frustrated.

Reyes looked at her, a crooked smile adorning his face. And then let out a full-on laugh.

“You stupid fucks.”

That really, really confused the woman.

“I don’t think you realize how deep in shit you are,” she said, shaking the gun as if to remind them of it.

“Oh no, I don’t think  _you_  realize that you’re pretty much drowning in it.”

A shadow of a doubt flickered over the thugs’ faces. The woman seemed a little worried, but she pretended not to be.

“How so? There are more of us and we have guns.”

“Maybe. But you have made one grave mistake,” Reyes said, locking eyes with Scott, who nodded slightly. “You kidnapped one of the best biotics in Andromeda.”

Just like that, Scott extended his hands, now alight with a purple aura. With one he threw a shield around himself, the other he pointed at the leader. Her gun jumped up, crashing painfully against her mandibles. A second later and she was flying across the cavern, knocked back by a powerful force push.

Reyes didn’t waste time either. As soon as the gun hit the leader’s face, distracting everyone, he fell on one knee, his elbow aimed at the crotch of the guard behind him. When the man gurgled and bent forward, Reyes tore the assault rifle from his numb fingers, shot him down, and rolled to safety behind a crate. His bullets took the thugs out one by one, and if he couldn’t reach them, Scott’s biotics did the trick. Soon there was no one left standing but them.

Reyes put the gun against his arm and strutted towards the cage with Scott in it.

“Hey, handsome. Come here often?”

“It must be hard with your sense of direction, never being able to find your way to a decent pickup line.” Scott shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips. “And I’m offended, I’m  _the_  best biotic in Andromeda.” As if to prove his words, he grabbed the door to his prison with his biotics and ripped them from their hinges. He stepped out from captivity and graciously accepted Reyes’ arms as they wrapped around his waist. “You know that I could have rescued myself. I’m no damsel in distress.”

“I know.” Reyes grinned. “I just wanted to see you kick ass. That’s hot.”

They looked at each other and started to laugh.

“Am I the only one having flashbacks to a certain cave?” said Scott, smiling coyly, though the fire in his eyes was anything but chaste.

“No, you’re not…”

They kissed, far more intensely than was decent. But neither of them cared too much about decency anyway.


	5. Lazy Afternoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are other things than sex you can be doing together in bed.
> 
> Pure fluff.

**“I shouldn’t be in love with you.”**

 

Kadara Port was a place that never slept. At any time of night or day you could find entertainment, legal or otherwise. But sometimes fancy drinks, pulse-pounding music, mind-numbing drugs and getting lost in a crowd weren’t what you wanted, what you needed. Sometimes the solitude in two, the intimacy of sharing your flat, your bed, and your heart with the person you loved, was enough.

And it could bring just as much fun.

“I spy with my little eye something beginning with the letter ‘L,’” said Scott, an impish smile on his face as he leaned back to get a better look at his lover. Reyes lay on the bed, his hands resting casually on Scott's thighs while he straddled him. They both wore nothing but underwear. Usually that was a prelude to getting hot and steamy, but they were tired today and simply not in the mood for sexy times. If anything, the mood was far more childish, playful.

“Hm… Leg?” Reyes murmured, venturing a guess, his voice like honey.

“Nope.” Scott let his hand slide from his lover’s stomach to his chest. Reyes approved of that with a languid hum.

“Lamp?”

“Nuh-uh.”

“Lap? Which is precisely where you are sitting right now. Very comfortably, I might add.”

“Nooo…” Scott bared his teeth in a wide grin, his fingers dancing across Reyes’ solar plexus to coax a better answer. But Reyes was out of ideas.

“I don’t know, Scott. Please enlighten me.”

“Every time someone says ‘enlighten me’ all I can think of is ‘enkindle this,’” he admitted, not at all sorry. Reyes rolled his eyes fondly.

“Everyone in Andromeda knows that you’re a Blasto nerd,” he said, casting a knowing glance at Scott’s underwear. This pair was plain white, standard Initiative issue, but last week his boxers had been covered in tiny armed hanars. Reyes remembered cackling so hard that he nearly fell out of bed. “But come on, what did you have in mind?”

Scott bit on his knuckle to muffle a silly giggle and tapped his other hand against his lover’s shoulder.

“Lazy bum.”

Reyes gawked at him and then started to laugh.

“Ryder! That’s cheating!”

“It’s not!” he protested, pretending to be offended. “And even if I did cheat, which I totally didn’t, what would you do about it?”

“Why, punish you, of course!” Reyes let out a battle cry and grabbed a pillow, smacking Scott right in the face. Not too strong, but enough for Scott to gasp like a wronged prima donna.

“Oh, you jerk…!” He was choking on chuckles, but very determined to exact his revenge.

Reyes was quicker. Before Scott could do anything, he sat up, wrapped his arms tightly around his lover and pulled him down, pressing him hard to his chest, laughing all the time. Scott laughed too as Reyes flipped them around. His laughter turned into high-pitched squeals when Reyes took advantage of his ultimate weakness – tickles.

“Nooooo!” he cried out, trying to wriggle away from those nimble fingers mercilessly teasing his skin. No such luck. They tumbled in the sheets, laughing until they couldn’t breathe. Panting heavily, the Pathfinder and the Charlatan lay together sprawled across the bed, goofy smiles adorning their faces. A short moment of respite, of togetherness, when the titles they bore meant nothing. They were just Scott and Reyes enjoying not being anything else. No pressure, no responsibilities.

Scott shifted, so that he could let his head rest on Reyes’ shoulder.

“I shouldn’t be in love with you. You’re awful,” he said, placing a chaste kiss on his neck.

“ _Shouldn’t_ implies that you, in fact, _are_ in love with me,” Reyes countered, his golden eyes warm and honest. Scott could get lost in them so easily. And he wouldn’t have minded that, not one bit.

“Maybe I am…”

They embraced, their world a safe bubble of languid kisses and tangled limbs.


	6. Three of a Perfect Pair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two people in bed. Or maybe three? 
> 
> Pure fluff.

**Two People/One Bed**  
 

 

“Mhm, I like it…”

Hearing that, Reyes turned his head slightly to have a better look at his lover. Not that he could see much in their current position, his view obscured most deliciously by Scott’s forehead and his messed-up hair.

Not many people were privy to the information that the Pathfinder was a cuddle monster, unrelenting and eager, taking every opportunity to clutch to his significant other like an octopus. Especially after sex, the bonelessness of an afterglow only encouraging him to seek more affection and connection.

Not that Reyes minded.

Not at all.

Lazily, he carded his fingers through the tousled and damp strands, making Scott sigh and melt even further. They had been dating for quite a while now and yet every night spent together on the Tempest still felt like a treat.

“What do you like in particular, hm?” Reyes asked, amusement clear in his voice. “There’s plenty of things to enjoy here.” Acting on an impulse he couldn’t resist even if he wanted to – and he definitely didn’t – he pressed his lips against Scott’s warm skin. The Pathfinder smiled.

“You know, everything. Just the two of us lying in bed like this. It’s… nice.”

Reyes hummed to agree with him, but not without some pensiveness thrown into the mix.  

“Well, technically, it’s three of us.”

Scott blinked, his eyelashes fluttering against Reyes’ cheek.

“Three?”

“Are you there, SAM?” Reyes asked, a lopsided smile curving his lips.

“ _I am always here, Reyes._ ”

“See?” he said triumphantly, almost able to hear the blood rush to Scott’s cheeks.

“Thanks. You just made it weird.” The Pathfinder hid his face in Reyes’ neck.

“Me? It’s not me who has a fancy AI stuck in my head who sees everything I do.”

There was a beat of silence. Reyes thought that Scott wouldn’t reply but eventually his lover muttered an answer, so quickly that it came out all garbled.

“I asked him to give me some privacy when I’m in intimate situations,” Reyes managed to decipher.

He chuckled, stroking Scott’s back fondly.

“But he’s still there anyway, isn’t he?”

“Well, yeah…”

It was Reyes’ turn to fall silent. SAM and his connection with Scott fascinated him, he couldn’t deny it. He often thought about how it must feel to live in such tight symbiosis with an artificial organism who had access not only to your physical body but also to your senses and your mind. And as useful as it could be, if given the opportunity, Reyes knew he’d decline. No one was allowed to poke around in his brain, no, thank you.

“SAM?”

“ _Yes, Reyes?_ ”

“You and Scott share everything, right? You’re like a… passenger in his body, experiencing the world through him, yes?”

“ _You can put it that way, yes_.”

“So what do you feel when we have sex? Is it awkward for you?”

“Reyes, really?” Scott groaned, rolling his eyes, his face boiling red.

SAM didn’t reply immediately. Maybe the question was uncomfortable to him as well. Or maybe he just needed to run it through more algorithms.

“ _No, it is not awkward. It is a part of human biology and thus something perfectly normal. Besides, I am, for all intents and purposes, a machine. I do not have feelings_.”

“Bullshit,” Reyes said with a smile. “You’re far more than just a simple machine. You must experience something.”

“ _Well, I certainly notice the rise of blood pressure, pulse rate and breathing, just as I do the gathering of seminal fluid in the urethral bulb right before the ejaculation of the semen. And of course, the release of dopamine when_ –”

“Okay, SAM, stop,” Scott demanded. He climbed on top of Reyes, his serious but endearingly flushed face hovering right above Reyes’. “And you stop too. I really don’t want to know what SAM feels in regard to my orgasms. That’s just… no. Don’t. Too much information.”

Reyes grinned in that impish way he knew Scott loved. He could get away with a lot of things by smiling like that. There were some lines, though, that he shouldn’t cross. He decided to drop the topic of orgasm, as interesting as it was. For now.

“So how do you feel about me, SAM?”

“ _In what way, Reyes_?”

“As in me being with Scott. And quit stalling.”

Again, SAM took some time to answer, as if really pondering the question. Scott seemed to be listening intently, curious – and maybe anxious – for the answer. 

“ _Scott has chosen you as his romantic and sexual partner. Being with you makes him happier and more relaxed than he was before you two met. I believe he experiences the feeling of love towards you and the evidence I have gathered points to the conclusion that his affection is reciprocated. That is why I have nothing against you being with Scott. On the contrary, I think that relationship is beneficial to the Pathfinder’s mental and emotional health, so I am in favor of it_.”

Reyes smiled and poked Scott’s side, seeing that his lover looked relieved.

“See? We have SAM’s blessing.”

“That’s great,” he replied, rolling back onto the bed and returning to shameless cuddles. “You can stop grilling him now.”

“Why?” Reyes chuckled, placing a kiss on Scott’s forehead. “You look adorable when you’re embarrassed.”

“Say that again and you’re sleeping on the couch from now on.”

Reyes laughed, reached for the blanket and covered them both to the tops of their heads, locking Scott in a tight embrace.

 


	7. For Better and Much Worse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott and Reyes want to catch a criminal and to do that they have to pretend to be husbands. Horrible husbands. 
> 
> Fluff and comedy.

**Fake Relationship/Engagement/Marriage**

 

This whole thing had been crazy from the start. As Scott recounted the events to him via vid call, Reyes thought that it sounded like the summary of some cheesy crime show you wouldn’t normally watch unless you were stuck in bed with your limbs smashed to pieces and no alternate entertainment. Scott, however, was just the right shade of embarrassed and outraged to add credibility to his words.

“Okay, so just let me get this straight, Scott.” Reyes reclined on the couch in his private room in the Tartarus, his gaze fixed on his omni-tool displaying the Pathfinder’s quarters where Scott sat at his desk. The Pathfinder rubbed his face, as if he wasn’t getting enough sleep. Again. Always working his fingers to the bone. Reyes fought the urge to tsk at him. “A counselor for married couples on the Nexus, who kills them when he decides they are beyond help?”

“I know how it sounds.” Scott had the decency to roll his eyes. “But it’s true. Or at least that’s what SAM and I have concluded. We don’t have solid proof though. Proper investigation is needed, we need to stop this guy before he offs anyone else.”

“Mhm.” Reyes nodded sympathetically. “Good luck then, Ryder.”

“Reyes…” Scott was somehow able to turn his name into a plea. “I need your help with this.”

“Alright. I can try to dig up some dirt on him.”

“No! That’s not what I meant.”

Reyes tilted his head. “I don’t really understand what you expect of me.”

“Well…” Scott shifted in his seat and scratched his nose. “I was hoping that you could come with me to a session.”

Not a single muscle on Reyes’ face twitched as he absorbed this request. Years of playing and winning at poker hadn’t been for naught.

“You want me to come with you. To the Nexus. Me.” He paused, letting the words sink in in all their absurdity. “And pretend to be your horrible husband.”

An awkward beat of silence.

“Yeah.” Scott cleared his throat. “Pretty much.”

Reyes shook his head. Unbelievable.

“You know that you can take literally anyone as your fake husband, right? Liam, for example?” he proposed. This suggestion was met with a scoff so offended that Reyes felt a sliver of possessive pride.

“No, I won’t pretend to be married to Liam,” Scott said adamantly. “And let me stop you here before you start listing every guy that has ever so much as breathed in my direction. I need you, specifically.”

“Aww, Ryder.” Reyes grinned. “You know how to make a boy feel special.”

Scott looked briefly ceilingward.

“You’re street smart. And smart in general. And you can tell when people are lying…”

“So can SAM.”

“Reyes… please...”

Uh-oh. Scott had rolled out the big guns, the most effective weapon against the Charlatan known to mankind. A pair of imploring baby blue eyes staring at him with such intensity that all his defenses melted into a puddle. Resistance was futile. Reyes might have as well wave the white flag right then and be done with it, since saying ‘no’ to Scott was near impossible even in far more favorable circumstances. Still, he had a reputation to maintain. The charade could go on a little longer, even if only so that Scott didn’t fully realize what kind of power he had over him.

“People on the Nexus won’t exactly welcome me with open arms, Scott.”

“Reyes, it’s been more than three years now since the Uprising.” He paused, raising an eyebrow to show that he had seen right through this stalling tactic. No one in their right mind could possibly forget one of many impossible things Scott had achieved, probably the most impressive of them all – convincing Director Tann to grant amnesty to all the Exiles. Yes, there was a certain degree of bureaucracy involved – proper permits and a visa for example – but at least they weren’t collectively _persona non grata_ on the Nexus anymore. It wasn’t easy to impress Reyes, yet when Scott had told him that news, he’d ended up pressing him against the wall and whispering into the kiss how amazing he was. Hard to forget something like that.

“And you’d be there with _me_ ,” Scott continued, bringing Reyes back to the present. “No one would seriously dare to question the human Pathfinder, the savior of the whole galaxy, right?” A crooked smile curved Scott’s perfect lips. “And finally, SAM can falsify your credentials in, like, five seconds. So really, you have no excuse.”

“Identity fraud? Scott, that’s illegal! I’m appalled. Has the Pathfinder strayed onto the path of evil?”

“Whatever it takes to get that bastard.”

Scott was serious. For a moment they just stared at one another, a battle of wills.

But the outcome was rigged from the start. Reyes sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“You won’t let this go, will you, Ryder?”

“Nope,” Scott replied with brutal honesty and a winsome smile.

“Out of all the people in Andromeda, I had to tie myself to the most pig-headed one.”

“Get used to it, darling.” Scott cracked a smile. “You’ll be my husband soon.”

“Your terrible husband,” he amended. “At least let me pick the rings.”

 

* * *

“I didn’t know that you had a husband, Mr. Ryder!” said the counselor, his demeanor warm and welcoming. Not at all murderous, not yet anyway. “There was nothing in the news regarding the ceremony.”

Scott shifted on the couch. He didn’t need to pretend that he was feeling uncomfortable.

“Call me Scott. And I like to keep my private life private,” he said, casting a glance at Reyes, who was handling the situation with his usual coolness, sitting casually right next to him. Without armor, just in a civilian’s shirt and trousers, and with his hair tousled with apparent carelessness, he looked like a supermodel. Scott had to be careful not to drool. 

Only when the counselor addressed him directly again did he manage to peel his eyes off his temporary husband.

“Of course, I understand. But you don’t have to fear the gossips here. Everything that happens in this room is strictly confidential.” Both Scott and Reyes nodded in acknowledgement. “Okay, in that case we can start. So… Scott, you told me that recently you and your husband have drifted apart, become distant. Is that right?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay. So before we can get to the center of the problem, please tell me something about your partner.”

“Um… Like what?” Scott asked somewhat helplessly.

“You tell me. Whatever you think is important enough to share.”

“Okay.” Scott glanced at Reyes, who waved to encourage him. They had rehearsed this part many times so everything should go smoothly. “Well… So this is my husband, Alejandro Morales. He’s an engineer stationed on Eos, basically making sure that the Prodromos can operate without any hiccups. We met two years ago through a mutual acquaintance. Business partnership very quickly developed into something more.” That part was true at least. “With everything that my job entails… you know, jumping all over the cluster on various errands, I can’t visit Eos as often as I’d like and he can’t take a leave too often either. It’s been quite a while since we’ve seen one another.”

“Mhm… So you think that the main problem in your relationship is the physical distance and the inability to be there for one another?”

“Yeah, I guess.” Scott shrugged. And instantly got an idea. “That, and the fact that he’s a compulsive liar.” Scott turned to Reyes with an outraged glare. With an angry movement of his hand to fix his hair, he masked a subtle wink, one that the good doctor had no chance of seeing. The Charlatan, on the other hand, saw it all and immediately went along with it. Even a master planner didn’t mind some improvisation from time to time.

“Stop being paranoid. I’m not lying to you, honey,” Reyes assured him, a picture of wronged innocence.

“Ha!” Scott shook his head at the doctor in a ‘can you believe this shit’ way. “See? He’s lying this very moment!”

“Okay, okay.” Reyes put his hands up in a placating gesture. “Sometimes… I’m not entirely truthful. But I never lie to you about important stuff.”

“Yeah?” Scott asked, raising his voice. “And what is really important to you, you lying son of a–”

“Gentlemen, please,” the doctor intervened. Scott huffed, fixing his hair again with another furtive wink at Reyes, then settled down. “Mr. Morales – Alejandro – please, it’s your turn now. Tell me something about your husband.”

“What is there to tell?” Reyes rolled his eyes. “He’s the fucking human Pathfinder, savior of the world. Flowers bloom wherever he dares to step, men and women throw their underwear at him, and a beam of sugar, spice and everything nice of justice shines from his asshole.”

Scott jaw went slack.

“Oh you fucking bastard!”

The counselor sighed, exasperation reflected in his eyes.

The session lasted two hours in total and Scott and Reyes were at each other’s throats 90% of time, doing their very best to be the most awful versions of themselves. Everything went perfectly and Scott could tell that the trap had been set – hook, line and sinker. After the session, Scott and Reyes retired to the apartment they’d rented, and waited.

Half an hour later they had to deal with a couple of mercenaries, one crazed counselor and profound apologies to the owner of the flat about the many holes that had appeared on the walls and a particularly nasty blood splatter on the ceiling. But the villain had been apprehended in the end and the story got its happy ending.

“You know, Scott,” said Reyes much later, as they rested together on the couch in the Pathfinder’s quarters, the Tempest bound for Kadara. “I’ve got to hand it to you. I really had fun today.”

“Yeah, me too,” he replied, taking a sip of the cocoa he had made for them both. “But I lowkey hate you now. When you told him about ‘the ray shining out of my ass’ you sounded very convincing,” he added, not quite serious.

Reyes chuckled.

“I have firsthand knowledge that thankfully your asshole is free of any strange illuminations.” He nuzzled against Scott’s neck, humming in pleasure.

Scott smiled, staring at his hands. The mug warmed them nicely, but what really had his undivided attention was the ring on his finger. An intricate gold band, a match to the one Reyes wore. Without significance. Just a trinket, a convenient prop to add another layer of credibility to the story they spun.

“I guess I should give it back to you now,” he said, indicating the ring with his chin. “Looks expensive.”

“Keep it.” Reyes’ chocolate breath fanned against his cheek, lips brushing gently against his stubble. “It looks good on you.”

Scott’s heart did a somersault.

“Really? Or is it just another lie?” he asked, smirking. He was half-serious, and as he looked at Reyes he realized that the man was too. Enough seriousness to make it mean something, but with an added playfulness to turn it all into a joke in case things fell apart.

“I mean it, Scott.”

Scott swallowed, going in for the harder, more meaningful route.

“But you haven’t even proposed to me.”

“Why should I?” Reyes asked, his golden eyes crinkling with mirth. “We both know what the answer would be.”

Scott had no words. His blush was probably worth more than a thousand, he supposed.

“Bastard…” he muttered into the mug. Reyes’ laugh and the gentle kiss the man placed on his temple made up for the embarrassment in abundance.   

 


	8. Valentine's Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reyes surprises Scott with something disgustingly romantic. And impossible. 
> 
> Fluff. Lots of it.

**Valentine's Day**

 

 

“Do you know what day it is today, Scott?”

The question caught the Pathfinder off guard. He took his eyes from the shifting landscape outside the window and looked at Reyes. His lover was radiant, proud and confident as he made the old and rickety shuttle glide effortlessly through the Kadaran skyline. Reyes truly seemed to be in his element, pressing control buttons and checking screens. Scott smiled, a wave of affection washing yover him.

“The day a miracle happened and I was finally able to take a vacation and go with you to Ditaeon?”

“Yes,” Reyes laughed, casting him a brief glance that made Scott’s heart skip a beat. “That. And something else as well.”

Scott thought about it. Honestly, he had no idea what day it could possibly be, he rarely paid attention to such trivialities as the date, even in the Milky Way. Of course he could ask SAM and get the answer but… meh.

“No idea. I bet you’re burning to tell me though.”

“Oh, I am burning, you can be sure of that.” One more smoldering gaze like that and Scott would jump straight onto Reyes’ lap, and by doing so crash the ship into a flaming wreckage. “However, I am more a ‘show’ than ‘tell’ type of person.”

“Is that so?” Scott raised an eyebrow in mock disbelief. “And here I thought that your mouth was your biggest asset.”

“Trust me, Scott, there will be plenty of mouth involved later,” Reyes said, reeking of smugness.

Scott discreetly adjusted his trousers to ease the pressure on his half-hardening cock.

No matter how much he coaxed Reyes to spill the beans during the rest of the journey, the man just kept teasing him, avoiding straight answers like the plague.

Figures. Straightness had never been his forte.

That thought was so dumb it made Scott cackle.

“What?” Reyes asked, preparing for the touchdown right next to the house that had been officially designated to be the Pathfinder’s residence in the outpost.

“Nothing. I’m just hilarious.”

“One of your many advantages.”

 “See, I’m not just a pretty face.”

“True. Although I must say that your face is exceptionally pretty.”

Scott coughed to hide his embarrassment. Damn Reyes, he could always make him flush. Scott had a raging suspicion that he was doing it on purpose and keeping a tally.

The ship settled easily and the two of them made a beeline to the building. Reyes lead the way, Scott’s hand firmly in his, but stopped right in front of the door.

“You first, Scott,” he said, grinning. Scott eyed him suspiciously. He knew Reyes well enough to detect a hint of anxiousness behind that smile. Hm…

Carefully, Scott tapped the lock to open the door. He stepped inside.

His foot landed on something soft. Surprised, he looked down. And blinked. And blinked again two more times.

“Reyes?”

“Yes, Scott?” he asked casually, as if there wasn’t a trail of red petals leading straight from the front door to the bedroom. Scott took a second to collect all the shards of his fried mind, blown up by the sheer absurdity of the sight.

“Are those roses?”

“Yes.”

“But… There are no roses in Andromeda,” Scott breathed out in a state of shock. 

“No?” Reyes glanced at his nails. “No one told me.”

Scott wanted to say something more, but nothing came to mind. Befuddled, he simply marched on into the bedroom, following the flowery carpet. Roses. Fucking roses. Holy fuck. How…?

His mind went blank when he stepped over the threshold. Bed… There was no bed. Or at least you couldn’t see it from under heaps of petals. All of them red like hearts bursting with love. Except for a few white ones that formed the inscription, ‘Happy Valentine’s Day, Scott.’

Scott took a deep breath. Pinched his nose. Scratched his neck. Bounced on the heels of his feet.

And bellowed with laughter, so hard that it bent him in half, tears spilling from the corners of his eyes. He guffawed uncontrollably, leaning against the frame so that his knees wouldn’t give way beneath him. After a couple of seconds he managed to lessen the hysteria to a manageable level and turned around. Reyes watched him, his expression unreadable.

“God, Reyes,” Scott said, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. “You’re a ridiculous man.”

“I assume that’s a good thing?” he replied, the need for confirmation blatant between the words.

“Of course.” Scott wrapped his arms around Reyes’ waist and slowly backed away, leading them towards the bed. “I wouldn’t want you any other way.”

Giggling stupidly, they both plopped onto the mattress. Not many petals remained there once they were done.

 


	9. Floating in a Most Peculiar Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott wants to show Reyes how fun zero-G can be. Things don't go entirely according to plan.
> 
> Fluff and comedy.

**Trapped Together**

 

“Seriously, Scott? That’s what you’re doing to unwind?” Reyes asked, one hand on his hip, the other supporting his weight as he leaned against the entrance to one of the escape pods on the Tempest. “Can’t you just get properly wasted like a normal human being?”

Scott laughed, not at all put out.

“And when did I ever display normal human behavior?”

“Fair enough.”

“Come on. It’ll be fun!” Scott said, slipping past his lover and stepping into the pod. Reyes lingered outside, eyeing it suspiciously.

“You sure it’s safe?”

“Sure! Peebee showed it to me, we’ve done it a thousand times.”

“Having your crazy asari involved isn’t exactly reassuring…”

“Oh come on, Reyes. Live a little.” Scott beckoned him in with enthusiasm. Reyes stubbornly didn’t budge.

“Ah, you see, Scott, living is exactly what I’d like to continue doing for the foreseeable future.”

Scott rolled his eyes and took Reyes’ hand, dragging him in. The door sealed after them.

“You’re a hopeless case.” Cheerfully, Scott tapped a command onto the console. “Ta-da! Enjoy!”

The gravity went off, the floor escaping at once from under their feet. They floated ungainly towards the ceiling, Scott with a bright smile on his face, Reyes looking as if he wanted nothing more than just to be back on the floor again. 

“Our own private zero-G chamber,” Scott said, turning in the air and pushing himself off the ceiling to bump into Reyes, spinning them around. “Doesn’t it feel nice? Not weighing anything? Flying?”

“We were flying anyway. That’s what ships do, Ryder, in case you’ve forgotten,” he pointed out.

“Wow, someone is grumpy today.” Scott grinned, earning himself an even grumpier glare. “And technically, the Tempest is simply orbiting Kadara, not exactly flying.”

“Details.” Reyes grabbed a shoulder harness from one of the seats in an attempt to keep himself vertical and with his head above his feet as it should be. “I definitely prefer to be more… grounded.”

“I haven’t even shown you–”

“Hey, guys!” They both turned their heads towards the door, hearing Peebee’s voice coming from behind it. “Doing something fun? Can I join in?”

“Nope, sorry, Peebs,” Scott replied. “Private event.”

“Oww, Ryder, don’t be like that. I mean, it’s cool if you’re having sex in there, I won’t mind.”

Reyes snorted with laughter. Scott went from normal to flustered in approximately 0.1 seconds.

“Nobody is having sex in here, go away.”

“Really, I mean it. I’ve seen a human penis in my life, you know.”

“GO AWAY, PEEBEE!”

“Fine, fine! Jerk!” She blew a raspberry at them and punched the door to show her frustration. And then paused, the moment loaded with tension. “…whoops.”

“Whoops?” Scott echoed, full of misgivings. “What did you–“

He was cut off by the blare of an alarm, red lights blinking all around their confined space.

“WHAT DID YOU DO, PEEBEE?” he yelled over the commotion, trading glances with Reyes.

“I activated the launch sequence! I didn’t mean to!”

“What?!” Scott remembered with painful clarity the last time Peebee messed things up. They’d almost ended up in the middle of an active volcano. “Then stop it!”

“I can’t!”

“PEEB–”

The force of the escape pod being ejected from the ship threw both of them against the wall. Wind knocked out of him, Scott struggled not to let cold terror consume him fully.

At least they seemed to be going in a straight line. That was good, right? As soon as the crew learned that the Pathfinder had been forcibly removed from the ship they would start a rescue mission, yeah? Nothing to worry abo–

The pod crashed into something – some space debris, perhaps – which threw it into a mad spin. The two unfortunate passengers twirled inside along with it, crashing chaotically against every surface.

Scott clenched his jaws and his eyes, trying to keep the contents of his stomach where they belonged.

_Don’t panic, don’t panic, don’t panic_ …

He wasn’t helpless, after all. His biotics flared as he stabilized himself enough to stop bouncing around like a sock in a washing machine. He floated to Reyes and wrapped his arms around him tightly.

“You okay?” he asked, his eyes scanning him for injuries.

Reyes nodded weakly, befuddled. Aside from some minor cuts and bruises he seemed to be fine. If a little green in the face. Good.

Using his powers, Scott flew to the seats and made sure that Reyes was properly buckled up. If they had to drift through space, they could at least maintain some degree of safety. Once Scott secured his lover out of harm’s way, he sat himself down as well and put the safety harness on, his biotics dying down.

“I knew from the start this was a bad idea,” Reyes sighed, resigned.

Now that the first shock had worn off, Scott bristled with barely contained fury.

“I’m going to kill her. Peebee is a walking corpse.”

“Well… Look on the bright side, Scott,” Reyes suddenly said, some of that characteristic smirk back on his face. “It could be worse.”

“Yeah? I can’t imagine how…”

“We could be stuck in here with Peebee.”

Scott threw his head back and guffawed, Reyes joining in. The life of the Pathfinder truly was ridiculous sometimes.

 


	10. Poker Face

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott wants to do the impossible and beat Reyes at poker. What can go wrong?
> 
> Fluff, frustration and fellatio.

**Friends/Enemies to Lovers**

 

“So? What do you think, SAM?” Scott asked, licking his lips. His concentration was absolute as he stared at five cards in his hand. Fours over Sevens. Pretty damn good. Finally the lady luck might have smiled favorably upon him.

“ _I am not sure, Pathfinder. I have been wrong before. Reyes has proven a very difficult person to read correctly_.”

Reyes chuckled, deep and smug. The very picture of blasé nonchalance, he slouched on the sofa in the Pathfinder quarters, his hand with his cards resting casually against his shin, his ankle crossed over his knee.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” he said and winked.

Scott glared at him, clenching his jaw. He sat in the armchair, right opposite of him, and coincidentally also seemed like Reyes’ polar opposite in terms of mental state. While Reyes was relaxed and enjoying himself, Scott was nearing the breaking point of a violent tantrum. Could be something to do with the fact that he was sitting only in his boxers, the rest of his clothes forming a pile of shame right at Reyes’ feet. Now was his last chance to get back what was his and then some more. Anything to wipe that self-congratulatory smirk from Reyes’ face.

“Give me your best estimation, SAM.” Scott was way past the stage of even pretending that he wasn’t using the AI to cheat. Not that it helped him much. So far the Charlatan somehow kept outfoxing the most advanced synthetic organism in the cluster.

“ _Taking into account the biological telltales and his body language, I predict a fifty-five percent chance that Reyes is bluffing_.”

“Fifty-five?” Scott whined, shaking his head. “You can do better than that, SAM.”

“ _I am afraid that I cannot, Scott._ ”

Reyes laughed again. Scott fantasized about shoving the whole deck of cards down his throat.

“Okay, let’s do this,” he said, frustration obvious in his voice. “Reyes, you first.”

“Show me yours and I’ll show you mine?” he teased, infuriating Scott even more.

High time for sweet revenge, long overdue. He’d savor every second of it, asking SAM to replay over and over again the scene when he finally obliterated Reyes in his game of choice.

Grinning triumphantly, Scott put his cards on the table.

“Full house. Eat shit and die.”

 Reyes hummed, pensive, the amused expression not leaving his face even for a second.

“I’d rather not.” With the flourish of a born drama queen he put down his own set of cards. “Royal flush. And that’s not the only flush I want to see today. Strip.”

Scott gawked at the table, incredulous.

“No!” he yelled at last, losing it entirely. “This is bullshit! You cheated! Fucking hell!” A furious biotic discharge sent the cards flying all around the room like the world’s largest confetti. “This is impossible! No!”

Reyes, the bastard, had the gall to chuckle.

“Such a sore loser, Scott. Tsk.”

“Fuck you.”

“Later, I hope.” That fucking _wink_ , incredible. “But now I’m waiting for my reward.”

“Fuck you,” Scott repeated emphatically. Still, a bet was a bet, no other way out of it than to go through.  Although it was the last thing he wanted to do, he stood up and walked to the middle of the room. Reyes’ eyes followed his every move, attentive like a predator on the hunt. 

Well… There was no point in delaying the inevitable. Glaring daggers, Scott pulled his boxers down in one swift motion and flung them on top of the heap.

He waited there, stark naked, a defiant look on his face. Probably less intimidating than he wanted, as he could feel his cheeks burning. From anger or from embarrassment, he wasn’t entirely sure. Which, all things considered, would be ridiculous. Reyes had seen him without clothes more times than Scott could remember. Yes, must be pure, unadulterated rage.

“Satisfied?” he growled.

“Mhm… I’m enjoying the sight, yes. The aura of shame and defeat suits you.”

“Fucker. I hate you.”

Reyes lifted himself from the couch and sauntered towards him, confidence and power evident in every step he took. Scott felt an excited shiver run down his spine, but he’d rather have died than give Reyes the satisfaction of seeing it.

“No, you don’t.” Reyes smiled, his eyes crinkling playfully, only an inch or two between them.

“Oh, I very much do now.”

Reyes put one hand on the small of his back, the other on his neck. Languidly, he pulled him into a kiss. At first, Scott stubbornly resisted, unmoved like a rock. But every person had their limits. More angry at himself for being weak than at Reyes, he kissed him back. He had to face the reality that it felt nice to be held naked against his lover, their tongues sliding together, wet and warm.

“Still hate me?” Reyes asked against his lips as he pulled back.

“A little less now,” Scott admitted, a tiny smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“Well then…” Reyes hummed in that very special ‘I’m up to something’ way Scott both adored and feared. “Maybe I can cure that hatred for good. I have a special… consolation prize for you.”

“Oh yeah?” He tilted his head and pecked Reyes’ lips. They looked too delicious not to taste them again.

“Yeah…”

And as Reyes squeezed his ass and fell down on his knees before him, a wicked smile on his face, Scott decided that maybe he didn’t mind losing that much after all.


	11. Home Is Where Your Heart Is

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes it takes years to find home. Sometimes it takes six hundred of them spent in cryostasis and a few more pathinding.
> 
> Fluff.

**Soulmates/Destined to be Together**

 

Scott trusted Reyes, simple as that. His friends could shake their heads all they wanted and nag him with warnings and good advice, but nothing could change Scott’s mind. No one else knew Reyes the way he did, so people could just stuff it.

For that very reason, when one day Reyes invited him into a shuttle and asked to wear a blindfold, Scott wasn’t worried. Not at all. Not even in the slightest. Nuh-uh.

“Is this really necessary?” Scott asked, shifting in his seat. Lack of sight made him hyperaware of everything around him – the smell of synthetic leather, the gentle hum of the machinery, the touch of Reyes’ hands as he fastened up seatbelts for him and the warmth resonating from his body as he leaned closer.

“It is. Otherwise, the surprise would have been spoiled,” he repeated, placing a brief kiss on Scott’s stubbled cheek. Reyes pulled away and Scott could hear that he was getting ready to take off.

“Where are we even going?”

“Scott, are you familiar with the concept of surprise?”

Scott pouted and turned his head towards the window, even if obviously he couldn’t see anything. Reyes just laughed, probably knowing all too well that it was just an empty gesture of mock anger.

The ride took about thirty minutes. They didn’t talk, but Scott needed no words to discern how excited Reyes was. _That_ was evident in the subtle things, ones he probably wouldn’t even notice normally. The way Reyes tapped his fingers against the armrest, the melody he hummed unconsciously, his sheer joy in pressing the buttons that kept the ship afloat.

Scott relaxed, curiosity replacing whatever lingering upset he might have felt. He really wanted to know what his boyfriend was up to this time.

Finally, the shuttle landed.

“We there yet?” Scott asked, reaching to tear off the blindfold. He didn’t even manage to touch the fabric before he felt Reyes’ hands closing over his.

“Yes. But I need to ask you for a little more patience.”

Scott sighed but nodded in agreement. Without protest he let Reyes help him out of the shuttle and guide him forward. They were somewhere high – he could tell by the smell in the air and the gusts of wind, still with a tinge of sulfur, blowing into his face. Tiny rocks crunched under the soles of his shoes. A mountaintop?

If Scott’s friends saw him now they’d probably think that Reyes wanted to kill him in a secluded place and dump the body where no one would find it. Scott, knowing better than that, simply waited, curiosity burning deep within him.

“Okay.” Reyes untangled the knot of the blindfold and pulled it down. “You can look now.”

Scott opened his eyes and blinked a few times, blinded by the Kadaran sun. It took him a moment to adjust, to see again.

The sight took his breath away. It shouldn’t, really, as he had seen the landscape of this planet from the Tempest more times than he could count. And yet… it felt completely different when there was no glass hindering his senses.

Yes, they stood on top of a mountain. And the view was stunning. All those small, uneven patches of lakes with shimmering water. The huge mushroom-like trees scattered haphazardly on both sides of the serpentine roads, all grassy and with muddy ruts left by tire tracks. Small dots of local animals skulking around and going about their business, doing so well without any human interference. And there in the distance, the boxy shapes of Ditaeon, the Initiative’s Outpost, thriving with the Pathfinder’s help and under the Charlatan’s protection. Their joint project to do some good in this world. Some good, just a glimmer of hope, but bright in the darkness like the neon lights of Kadara Port visible on the horizon.

Scott turned his head, awestruck, and looked at Reyes. At his warm golden eyes, at his smile, at the casual, relaxed stance of familiarity.

Scott’s heart soared.

He felt it. In this very moment. Something he hadn’t felt since long before his mother died. Not back in the Milky Way, not here in Andromeda.

This… This was home. His home. He’d found it, at last. Loved it, treasured it, longed for it every time he was away. Maybe it was destiny. Took him hundreds of years of cryostasis and years of struggle to find it, but here it was now. Home. Not just a place but also, above all else, someone to share it with.

“Scott?” Reyes’ worried voice pulled him away from his thoughts.

“Yeah?”

“You’re… crying?”

Surprised, Scott reached to his cheeks. Yes, somehow his skin was wet. He hadn’t even realized.

“No. Must be the wind,” he sniffed, wiping the tears away.

Reyes said nothing. Just stepped closer and snaked his arm around Scott’s waist.

In silence – shoulder to shoulder, heart to heart – they admired the view.


	12. One of These Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott is having a very bad day and bitches about it to his boyfriend. 
> 
> Fluff. And tons of swearing.

Reyes had had a really long day. Sometimes it felt like he was surrounded by helpless children who would perish if he left them unsupervised for five minutes. The simplest problems seemed to be blown out to apocalyptic proportions. Soon he’d have to micromanage his men using the toilet.

Stifling a yawn, he stretched his limbs. His joints cracked in a decidedly unpleasant manner and he was developing a pain in his neck. Yup, time to retire for the night.

He was about to heave himself from the couch when the blinking light and slight vibration on his wrist told him that he had an incoming call.

Reyes groaned. Oh for fuck’s sake…

With a scowl, he glanced at the screen, ready to wreak havoc on whoever dared to be incompetent this time. However, when he saw the name of the caller his mood flipped 180 degrees. Unable to stop himself from smiling, he pressed the button to accept.

The screen was instantly filled with the picture of a shivering Scott Ryder, wrapped up almost completely in a green, worn-out blanket. Only his blue eyes, reddened nose and purplish lips stuck out, his hands clutching a steaming mug of brown liquid for dear life. He wasn’t calling from the Tempest, the room behind him looked more like one of the Resistance bases.

“Fucking Voeld,” Scott said and sneezed two seconds later into his shoulder. “I hate this bitch ass cold, this bitch ass snow and this bitch ass planet.” He took a sip and made a gagging sound, his face twisting into a comical expression of disgust. “And I hate this fake ass synthetic chocolate. What is this shit even made of? Literal shit?”

Reyes laughed. Behold, the Pathfinder – the beacon of hope for all humanity.

“Aren’t you being a little overdramatic?”

“Piss off, Vidal.” Despite the harsh words, Scott smiled. “It’s not you who’s freezing his ass off in this butthole of the universe.”

“Mhm.” Reyes nodded in acknowledgement. “But if I remember correctly, you hate Elaaden just as much.”

“Yeah, fuck Elaaden with a stick. Why can’t we have nice planets?” Scott sighed wistfully.

“Come to Kadara. Almost no sulfur left, pleasant temperature, better company…”

“Trust me, if I could I would just dump everything here to hell and go straight to Kadara, even if I had to walk there on foot.”

“Knowing how stubborn you are, my dear Pathfinder, I trust you would.”

For a moment neither of them said anything. There were just stares and smiles, and a painful longing clutching at Reyes’ heart. Scott was the first to break the silence.

“I miss you.”

“It’s been far too long.”

Forty-three days exactly. Not that Reyes would ever admit to keeping count.

“I’ll wrap things up here as fast as I can. And then Tann can huff and puff all he wants, but I’m making a pitstop in Kadara.”

“I’ll be waiting. And in the meantime I’ll see if I can find some real chocolate for you.”

Scott’s radiant grin could melt all of Voeld’s glaciers.

“I’m dating the man of my dreams.”

“Likewise.” Reyes winked, finding pleasure in seeing Scott’s face turn a shade of pink. He wasn’t able to revel in the sight for long, unfortunately.

“Ryder!” someone shouted off screen, loud and urgent.

Scott sighed and rubbed his temple, muttering a string of curses. 

“I need to go.”

“I know. Don’t be a stranger, Scott.”

“See you soon.”

The call ended, the orange glow of the omni-tool fading away.

Forty-three days.

The empty room somehow seemed even more empty now.

 


	13. A Hard Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reyes has secrets, of course he has and Scott knows that. And yet sometimes it hurts. 
> 
> Angst

Scott knew full well that it wasn’t easy to surprise someone who virtually ruled over a whole planet and had his eyes and ears everywhere. Impossible odds were never a deterrent to him, however, so he treated it like a challenge.

After dealing with some official Initiative business in Ditaeon, he jumped into a shuttle as soon as he could and flew straight to the Tartarus, thankful that there was no one around to issue him a speeding ticket.

Reyes was in his lair, Kian informed him helpfully. Smiling with excitement, Scott ran up the stairs and opened the door with a code only known to a select few.

A familiar sight appeared before his eyes. Reyes on a couch in a dimly lit room, typing furiously on his omni-tool. There was a look of concentration on his face, of absolute focus on whatever matter he was dealing with. A genius at work, something Scott had grown to associate with the always scheming Charlatan.

Hearing the door open, Reyes looked up from the screen, annoyed that someone dared to disturb him. His eyes widened in surprise once he realized who it was.

“Scott. I wasn’t expecting you,” he said, a corner of his lips turning upwards.

“Well, I can come another time if you’re busy...”

“Nonsense.” Reyes shut the omni-tool down and stood up, coming to greet him. “I’m never too busy to spend some time with you.”

Scott smiled into the kiss they shared and gave his boyfriend a warm hug.

“Oh, I missed you so much,” Scott admitted, looking at Reyes as if the man hung the stars in the sky. “What would you say to a couple of drinks? We need to catch up!” Scott grabbed his hand and squeezed it, wanting to drag him downstairs to the counter.

Reyes winced at the touch. Scott stared at him in confusion and then moved his gaze to his boyfriend’s hand. The knuckles were chaffed, raw with fresh scabs.

“Reyes, what happened?” he asked with worry.

“It’s nothing.” Reyes waved his other hand dismissively.

“Were you in a fight?” Scott insisted, but Reyes held his tongue. “Tell me!”

They just stared at one another, neither wanting to relent.

“Reyes…”

Reyes sighed, running his uninjured fingers though his hair.

“Scott. You said once that you expect me to have secrets and you’re allowing them as long as I don’t lie to you about the big stuff. This is one of those secrets.”

Scott looked at him, hurt.

“Why don’t you want to tell me what happened?”

“It’s better if you don’t know.”

“Why?”

“Because you love me.” Reyes’ gaze was serious but with hints of sadness too. “And I don’t want you to stop.”

Scott bit on his lower lip, thinking, battling with himself.

“I think you keep making the same mistake, Reyes. You underestimate the things that I can handle. And forgive.” He sighed, seeing no reaction from his boyfriend. The Charlatan had already made up his mind. “Fine. Have it your way. Don’t tell me. But I need to know one thing. And if you won’t answer it, I’m walking out this door right now.”

“What’s that?” Reyes asked, anxious.

“Are you in danger?”

“No. Not anymore.”

“Good.” Scott nodded. “That’s all that really matters to me.”

Reyes’ gaze softened.

“Thank you, Scott.” He leaned in, giving him a kiss. The kiss left a bitter aftertaste on Scott’s tongue.

“Come on, I need that drink.”

Hopefully whiskey would be able to wash it away. 


	14. The Anniversary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not all anniversaries are happy.
> 
> **Hurt/comfort**

 

 

Reyes wasn’t sure what woke him up. Was it the sound of footsteps walking away from the bed? The shifting pressure on the mattress? Or maybe the sudden absence of warmth at his side? Whatever the reason, he couldn’t ignore it. Instinctively, he reached to the right, searching for Scott’s body to snuggle against. He found nothing there but the crumpled sheet. Humming quietly, his limbs stretching, he parted his eyelids.

The other side of bed was empty, with a distinctive and worrying lack of Scott.

Still majorly in the land of dreams, Reyes furrowed his eyebrows. Scott waking up first? No, that was simply wrong. The laws of nature had been broken and reality was about to crumble in on itself.

Reyes rolled onto his back and propped himself up on his elbows, blinking away the remnants of sleep. He rubbed his right eye, straining the other to see better.

Yes, Scott was still here, he hadn’t left for good. He was standing completely naked right in front of the panoramic window looking out at Ditaeon. The colors of the sky, all pinks and oranges, told Reyes that it was barely after dawn, the world just beginning to go about its business. But Scott didn’t seem to admire the view. His forearm pushed hard against the glass, his forehead resting heavily on it. From his vantage point, Reyes could see his reflection – sad blue eyes, drooping corners of his lips, lines of worry making him look older than he actually was.  

What happened? A bad dream? Problems at work?

Reyes felt obliged to investigate. Scott couldn’t be blue, not on his watch.

He sat up, let his feet fall onto the cold floor and walked towards Scott. He hadn’t sneaked up on him and yet as he wrapped his arms around Scott’s waist and snuggled him from behind, his lover twitched in surprise.

“It’s okay…” Reyes hummed, his voice soothing, as he planted a soft kiss on Scott’s shoulder. “It’s only me.”

Some of the tension released from Scott’s body.

“There’s nothing ‘only’ about you,” he said, but the attempt at playful banter was a weak one, the smile on his face nothing but a pale shadow, a fabrication that was meant to fool him.

If Scott thought he could lie to a seasoned liar then he was very mistaken.

“What’s wrong?” Reyes asked, his hand stroking Scott’s chest. “And don’t say ‘nothing’. I can see that something is bothering you.”

 Scott sighed. He appeared to be considering denying it or kicking up a fight, but his resolve quickly dwindled. His shoulders sagged as he kept his unseeing eyes fixed out the window.

“Today is the second anniversary,” he said finally, pain filling the pauses between words.

Second anniversary? Reyes racked his brain, trying to find a possible match, one that would explain all the sadness. Their second anniversary of dating? No. Anniversary of arriving in Andromeda? No. Anniversary of establishing the outpost? No.

Honestly, he had no idea.

“Anniversary of what?” he asked gently, kissing his neck. More a sign of apology and comfort than the prelude to an outburst of passion.

Scott dropped his gaze to the floor.

“Of my father’s death.”

Ah.

“I’m sorry, Scott.” What else could he say? He didn’t even know the man. And from what he’d heard, he wasn’t sure if he truly wanted to. But Alec Ryder was still Scott’s father and such loss always hurt. “I’m sure he’d be proud of you if he could see you now.”

“Would he now?” Scott’s laughter was bitter. “He was the Pathfinder, not me. He trained for this, he had plans, he had skills, he had the respect of everyone in the Initiative. And me? I have nothing. Just mistake after mistake. I have no idea what I’m doing most of the time.”

“Scott. You’re doing fine,” he assured him, absolutely serious. “You’ve achieved so much. You defeated the Archon, you found Meridian. Don’t sell yourself short.”

“I got lucky, that’s all.” Scott ran his hand down his face. He looked tired, dispirited. “Imagine how much would have been done with a proper Pathfinder.”

“Scott…” Reyes put his hand on the man’s chin and made him look up. “What do you see? Over there, outside the window?” he asked, cheek to cheek. Scott seemed irritated.

“Is that a trick question?”

“No. Tell me what you see.”

“Ditaeon.” Scott shrugged.

“Exactly. You did this, Scott. Without you this outpost wouldn’t exist.”

“ _We_ did this.” Scott cast him a sideways glance. “Without your protection the bandits would have overrun it a long time ago.”

“Mhm, okay. _We_ , together, are making it thrive,” Reyes agreed, not wanting to provoke a fight. “But you made its establishment possible in the first place. You fixed the vault, you solved all our problems with water, you fought off the Roekaar. That’s damn impressive, if I’m being honest.”

“Are you honest, though?” Scott raised an eyebrow. Perhaps he wasn’t entirely convinced, but at least that heartbroken expression had disappeared from his face. That in itself was a small victory. “My father would have done all that and possibly more.”

“Maybe yes, maybe no. But there’s one thing he wouldn’t be able to do no matter how much he tried, which you do without any problems.”

“And what’s that?”

Reyes’ smile was positively wicked.

“Sleep with me, of course.”

Scott snorted with laughter, the very reaction Reyes had hoped to achieve.

“Somehow I doubt that my father would have been interested in a shady smuggler.”

“Who knows? Not many people can resist my charms.”

Scott rolled his eyes.

“Oh, shut up.” He silenced Reyes with a kiss, a small smile playing at the corner of his lips. They touched, they laughed, they kissed, the pride swelling in Reyes’ chest. He loved chasing Scott’s sadness away.

 


	15. Last Thought

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Archon is defeated, Meridian is free but there is no happy ending for the Pathfinder. Nor for Reyes.
> 
>  
> 
> **Angst, major character's death**

**What If**

 

Something had happened, that much was clear. It felt as if the whole planet started to bloom. The wind brought with it smells of flowers unlike any Reyes had ever encountered. The kett started to fall back and left Meridian in droves. The fighting ceased.

Reyes smiled to himself. They’d won. Scott did it, he defeated the Archon. Reyes’ heart swelled with pride. He’d never doubted him, he knew that if there was one person in Andromeda who could pull this off and save them all it was his boyfriend.

Reyes waited with the rest of the resistance forces for the Pathfinder’s team to emerge from the vault. Oh, he was already thinking of celebrations. Something more private after the official ones. Somewhere where just the two of them could rest away from the crowds and enjoy each other’s company. Somewhere where Reyes would be able to tell Scott how much he meant to him.

Familiar silhouettes finally appeared at the entrance. But what should have been a victory march more closely resembled a funeral procession. The expression on every face was somber. Scott’s sister was crying, leaning against the big angara, who was also on the verge of tears himself. But where was Scott?

_Oh no. No, no, no…_

Reyes turned pale as a sheet. The krogan carried Scott in his arms, the body limp, unmoving.

_No._

Not taking his eyes off Scott, Reyes ran towards him as fast as he could. The group stopped, silent and grieving. They looked at him with pity, he could tell. He wanted to scream at them in return.

“I’m sorry, kid,” said the krogan. He lowered Scott to the ground with care and stepped back, as if wanting to give them some privacy.

Privacy among this huge crowd of people, all with their eyes on him. Most of them didn’t even know who he was, who he was to Scott.

They didn’t matter anyway; he paid them no attention. He couldn’t believe his eyes, it couldn’t be, it couldn’t. Hopelessly, he pressed his fingers to Scott’s neck, searching for a pulse. But he knew it wouldn’t be there. The blood on Scott’s face, his eyes closed, his lips slightly parted. As if sleeping, except this time he would never wake up again.

Reyes didn’t know what he felt. Nothing. There was a hole inside his chest where his heart used to be, the emptiness slowly gnawing at his soul and consuming it whole. Was it shock or was he truly the cold bastard people always took him for?

_Scott…_

He closed his eyes and took a shaky breath.

“ _Reyes_.”

He didn’t turn around, he couldn’t. He didn’t want to hear SAM’s voice coming from Scott’s sister.

“Yes, SAM?”

“ _Please accept my sincere condolences. The knowledge that Scott thought about you in his last moments might bring you some peace._ ”

Oh God. No, it didn’t bring him peace. The words felt as if someone had stabbed him in all his vital organs at once.

Keeping his voice calm took all of his willpower.

“What did he think, SAM?”

“ _Knowing the content of his thoughts may cause you additional pain. Are you sure you want to hear them?_ ”

“Please, SAM.” He swallowed hard, clenching his fists to stop them from shaking. “Please.”

“ _Very well. He thought that he loved you and regretted not having ever told you that._ ”

Reyes bit his lower lip to keep from laughing If that laughter left his throat it would be the sound of agony, devoid of any humor but filled with raw despair. A scream into the cold, unfeeling void.

“I knew,” he said, his voice breaking as he stared at Scott’s face. So peaceful now, but so empty, robbed far too early of his inner light. The light that was like a beacon to Reyes. Without it, he felt lost. Dead, even if blood still coursed through his veins. “I’ve always known…”

 


	16. Galaxies in Your Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Love makes poets of us all.
> 
> **Poetic fluff.**

**“I see the way you look at me when you think I’m not looking.”**

 

 

Long-distance relationships were never easy. No matter how often you called and how long you talked to one another across the vastness of the galaxy, the longing for physical contact, for human touch and the warmth of the other person still remained, an unquenchable ember smoldering inside your soul. The seconds turned to hours, hours to millennia without the one you loved by your side.

All that pining made the joy of meeting at last all the sweeter. At least that was what Reyes kept telling himself.

Two weeks had passed since the last time Scott visited Kadara. Not that long objectively, but for a yearning heart it still felt like forever. Each period of separation was getting harder and harder to withstand. As much as it frustrated Reyes, he couldn’t help the way he felt, the way his chest swelled with happiness every time he heard that the Tempest had docked on Kadara and the way his world seemed painted the most melancholic shades of blue as he watched it leave again.

But today he didn’t want to think about any of that. Today he wanted to enjoy every moment and commit them all to memory, hoping they would be able to sustain him until he and Scott met again, whenever that was.

The day was eventful – maybe even too eventful – with them making rounds in the slums. They chased after one kidnapped colonist, the official reason why the Pathfinder had come to visit. After all that, they took a well-earned moment of respite, laying together on the rooftop of one of the taller buildings. An empty bottle of whiskey stood near their intertwined fingers, their legs swinging casually over the edge.

At peace and in love, they looked up at the night sky. Kadara Port was a city of neon lights that never slept, but even garish blues and greens and purples couldn’t overshadow the smudges of nebulas above them, the distant white pearls scattered over the darkness of the infinite void.

The sight was beautiful.

But not as beautiful as the man right next to him. Reyes’ gaze refused to stay away long from Scott’s face. So pale in the dim light, his lips curved in a delicate smile, his eyes reflecting the timeless allure of the galaxies above them. Even the magnificence of the stars themselves couldn’t outshine his inner fire, that glimpse into Scott’s soul, restless and adventurous like a wind chasing the clouds in faraway places.

Reyes saw it all. He could drown in him, sink to the very bottom, grateful for every life-giving lungful of affection.

“I see the way you look at me when you think I’m not looking,” Scott said suddenly, turning his head to look at his boyfriend. His voice was quiet, as if he recognized the special, meaningful silence stretching between them and didn’t want to breach it with a louder sound. Neither did Reyes.

“And how am I looking at you?” he whispered, brushing his thumb along the knuckles of Scott’s hand.

“As if I’m unattainable.” Scott licked his lips, a gesture that betrayed insecurity, worry. “A figment of your imagination. A ghost, too unreal to be true, too out of this world to be with you.”

“Are you?” Reyes asked gently, curious and expectant. “Unattainable? Ready to slip through my fingers with the break of dawn?”

Scott smiled, squeezing his hand.

“I am flesh and blood. And I’m here. Just where I want to be.”

The kiss they shared tasted like starlight, like the promise of many more such nights to come.

 


	17. Summer Heat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heatwave strikes Kadara. Reyes has an idea how to combat it. A bad one.
> 
> **Comedy/Crack**

**Summer Heat**

 

 

Ever since Scott could remember, he’d always preferred warm weather. If he could choose, he would pick Elaaden over Voeld every time, a no-brainer. But even his tolerance for heat had its limits.

“I’m melting…” he whined, laying sprawled across the couch in the Pathfinder’s quarters in Ditaeon. He was stark naked, having shed all his clothes onto the floor a long time ago, but still he had half a mind to start ripping his skin off in the faint hope of getting some respite from this hot spell.

Summers on Kadara were pleasantly sunny but usually not too overbearing. The last two days, however, would put deserts to shame. The temperatures were scorching and the lack of any wind or clouds to speak of made everything even worse, turning Kadara Port and its surroundings into a true frying pan. Things should have been better in the Initiative’s outpost but – ironically – the air conditioning had sustained some heat-related damage and until that malfunction was dealt with all the fans were still, just like the air. And so far no luck with repairs.

If Scott had known that it would be like this, he would have gone on vacation on some different date. Well, at least he could suffer in good company.

“Mhm, me too…” Reyes sighed. He sat on the floor with his back to the window in a similar state of undress. The special glass allowed them to have a fantastic view over the outpost while at the same time shielding them from the prying eyes of colonists. That was in everyone’s best interest, really. Probably no one in the Initiative would want to see their Pathfinder getting fucked on every relatively flat surface in that flat.

Scott lifted his head and looked at Reyes, who was typing something on his omni-tool. If it weren’t for the heat, Scott would most likely crawl to his boyfriend, sit on his lap and demand his undivided attention. The temperature didn’t encourage getting physical though.

“Seriously? Now?” he said, pointing to the omni-tool. “You should give your men a day off or the smuggler union might go on strike.”

“Impossible, no better time to smuggle ice from Voeld.” Reyes smirked. “But no, I’m not giving out orders at the moment. I’m gathering intel.”

“On what?”

“On… Aha! Got it!” he exclaimed smugly. Scott gave him an uncomprehending look, so Reyes began his explanations. “I heard that there’s a cave nearby with a small lake. I just found the coordinates.”

“And?”

“And I think we can go there. A short ride in the Nomad and we’re set!”

“Really? You want to go out in this weather?” Scott shook his head at the prospect of being outside in the blazing sun.

“Our own cold lake does sound appealing, don’t you think?”

Scott wasn’t convinced, but resisting Reyes’ roguish smile was a hopeless endeavor.

“Alright, we can check it out I guess. But if we go up in flames that’s your fault.”

* * *

“It’s… really something,” Scott said, looking around, as the echo repeated his words.

Reyes was right – it took them maybe ten minutes driving and a bit of climbing to get here, but even an hour-long trek would have been worth the effort. The cave was beautiful. Some sort of lichen stuck to the walls, lighting the place up with an eerie blue glow, making the calm waters of the large lake look almost silver. The temperature was also a vast improvement over the hell outside. SAM, helpful as always, estimated the temperature at 25 degrees Celsius, which felt like heaven. The water looked very appealing as well.

“Makes you wonder why it’s not crawling with people.”

“Who cares?” Reyes was taking off his clothes with such speed, it was as if they were on fire. “I’m not complaining.”

Scott chuckled, pulling his shirt over his head.

“Well, me neither.”

Reyes was the first to test the waters. Scott observed with curiosity how his naked boyfriend walked to the bank and carefully dipped his foot into the lake. His content sigh sounded promising.

“It’s perfect,” Reyes said and without wasting another second ran into the lake at full speed and didn’t stop until he was almost entirely submerged.

Scott didn’t want to get left behind. He threw his underwear on a heap and followed Reyes eagerly. The water truly felt heavenly against his sweaty skin.

“You had a fantastic idea. I’m sorry I doubted you,” he said, swimming up to Reyes.

“Well, there’s a price to pay for being a skeptic.” With a cheeky grin, Reyes splashed some water on his face.

Laughing, Scott repaid him in kind.

It was wonderful, really. The short fight turned into a chase all around the lake and when Scott finally caught up to his lover, they kissed, locked in a warm embrace, floating together without a care in the world.

“I could stay like this forever.” Scott sighed, putting his forehead against Reyes’.

“Would be nice, wouldn’t it?”

Scott felt his boyfriend’s hand sliding up his thigh, caressing his hip.

“Well, I must say I’ve never done it in a lake,” Scott said with an impish glint in his eyes. “Might be interesting. Kind of gross, but interesting.”

“Done what?”

Scott scoffed, shaking his head a little.

“Come on, coyness doesn’t suit you.” Reyes gave him a strange look. Scott furrowed his eyebrows, verging on annoyance. “Your hand? On my hip? Well, now more on my stomach.”

“Scott…” Reyes’ voice sounded… worried. A shiver ran down the Pathfinder’s spine. “My hands are around your neck.”

“Then what…” Scott looked down into the crystal clear water. His gaze zoomed in on the giant purple tentacle climbing up his body.  

Scott shrieked in panic. Reyes screamed in terror. Both broke several world records swimming back to shore with superhuman speed. Forgetting entirely about their clothes, they fled to the Nomad as fast as their quaking legs could carry them.

Their return to the Pathfinder’s quarters in their birthday suits was an adventure all in itself.

 


	18. All This Mess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott is a walking disaster. Reyes loves him anyway.
> 
> **Fluff. And a painful lack of cooking skills**

**Love Me**

 

 

Reyes was a light sleeper. It was basically a requirement in his line of work. Far too many people would be happy to see him with a bullet lodged in his brain for him to enjoy a peaceful night’s rest.

That ingrained paranoia was precisely why a mere second after hearing the terrible clatter he was sitting up in his bed, pistol already in hand, blinking to chase the remnants of sleepiness away as his eyes darted around the room in search of danger. It was pure instinct, his brain only slowly catching up to what was going on.

Light was coming from his kitchen. As were weird dripping sounds, and muffled curses repeated over and over. Reyes furrowed his eyebrows but didn’t let the surprise influence his concentration. Quietly, without making even the tiniest noise, Reyes slipped from under the covers and sneaked in the direction of the kitchen. His finger on the trigger, ready to shoot whoever dared to break into his flat, he barely cared that he was stark naked.

He knew better than to charge into the kitchen guns blazing, so instead he glued his back to the wall and very slowly and carefully peeked around the corner, trying to see who the future corpse was.

Whatever Reyes had expected, this wasn’t it.

Scott, crouched on the floor, surrounded by chipped pots, cracked plates and some burnt, smelly substance that bubbled around him like a vile, acidic moat, quietly muttering “shit, shit, shit” to himself.

The stove was FUBAR, the wall bore scorch marks from top to bottom and a ridiculously big stain of the same suspicious substance was plastered to the ceiling, dripping onto the sad remains of one of the cabinets.

“Scott, what the hell?” said Reyes, entering what looked like a bomb site. He put the gun on a table that thankfully survived whatever disaster befell the kitchen.

Memories from yesterday slowly came back to him. Scott visited him for dinner, they watched a vid, had sex and went to sleep. None of that could explain this mess.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Reyes stared at his lover expectantly.

“Um… well…” Scott started, rubbing at his nose awkwardly. In different circumstances Reyes might have deemed that adorable. The charred landscape kind of took the charm out of it. “I tried to make you breakfast, but something went wrong.”

“Understatement of the century.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, looking apologetic, like a puppy who accidentally chewed through your slipper but didn’t really mean to. “You cooked dinner for me yesterday, so I wanted to make something nice for you in return.”

That confession made Reyes a little less grumpy.

“Next time,” he said, leaning to pat Scott on the head, “just give me a back massage or something, okay? Nothing that involves you going near any kitchen appliances unsupervised.”

Scott nodded, still embarrassed.

Reyes offered Scott his hand and helped him up. He supposed he should be mad – well, madder – that his boyfriend blew up his kitchen, but the longer he thought about it the more hilarious the whole situation was becoming. Never a boring day while dating the Pathfinder.

“Scott, you’re a beautiful disaster,” he said, corners of his lips twitching as he barely stopped himself from bursting into laughter. “And I love you for that.”

Scott sighed with relief and hugged him.

Standing among the ruins and holding the boy he cared about in his arms, Reyes thought that the scene was a good metaphor for his life. And he didn’t mind. Walls could be repainted, stoves fixed, but love could never be replaced.  

 


	19. Baby Boom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> People want to have Scott’s babies. He’s not entirely on board with that idea. 
> 
>  
> 
> **Hurt/comfort, fluff**

Reyes finished reading the newest reports and allowed himself to indulge in a content smile. Things were going great for Kadara Port and slowly but surely the Collective’s influence was spreading out beyond the capital, reaching deep into the badlands.

What a nice change, things finally going exactly according to plan. Or even better. Without any complications. A small miracle.

Nothing came effortlessly though. Reyes still had to write several emails with instructions and send them to his operatives. Another busy day at Tartarus.

The door to his room opened. He looked up lazily, not surprised. He’d received intel that the Tempest had docked in the port and he was thus expecting a visit from a certain someone. Perfect timing; he could use a break.

“Pathfinder.” He turned off the omni-tool with a roguish smile. “Pleasure. As always.”

Scott responded with a pale smile of his own. His baby blue eyes were dimmed with concern, his whole posture displaying uneasiness. As he walked to the couch and sat down at his lover’s side, he appeared lost in thoughts.

“Scott? Did something happen?” Reyes asked, sliding closer to him.

Scott sighed and ran his hand down his face. He looked tired, as if his share of worries kept him awake every night.

“You remember Jill? I told you about her.”

Reyes needed a moment. He had a good memory – a must while running the larger part of a planet – but some information required more time to be unearthed in his mind.

“Your mechanic’s friend? Jill the Breeder?”

“Yeah, her.” Scott sighed again and rubbed at his bloodshot eyes. Reyes had only vague knowledge about the woman, but apparently she was extremely single-minded, fully oriented on her life’s mission. Namely, repopulating Andromeda as quickly and as smartly as possible. Small wonder that people tended to give her a wide berth. She had no concept of privacy or tact. “She asked me to… to donate my sperm.”

Reyes gaped at him. Then started to laugh, his head thrown back on the headrest, his hands pressed to his stomach.

“Hey! Don’t laugh, asshole! It’s not funny.” Scott pouted, truly upset.

It was hard, but Reyes managed to curb his amusement.

“Sorry.” He pecked Scott’s cheek to show contrition. What he said next didn’t help him though. “I was just thinking how much sperm you have already donated to me unprompted. Five gallons? More?”

Scott blushed scarlet. His adorableness while flustered was off the charts.

“Anyway,” Scott said, pointedly ignoring Reyes, “there’s apparently a lot of women in Andromeda who would be thrilled to carry the Pathfinder’s child. And since there’s no way I’m gonna whoops a baby into this world by natural means, she said that it’s pretty much my duty to donate sperm and spread my ‘amazing’ genes with a little help from science.”

Reyes said nothing, growing more serious. He couldn’t laugh, not when Scott looked so miserable. Truth be told, the whole idea made him uneasy as well.

“And did you agree?”

“I said that I’ll think about it, but… I don’t know.” He shrugged helplessly. “I mean, it shouldn’t be a big deal, right? Sperm donation is a thing and no one cares. But… That would kinda make me a dad to those kids? I’d be a dad but otherwise a complete stranger to them? That’s… I don’t know. Too much?”

Reyes reached out, looping his arm around Scott’s shoulder.

“If you’re uncomfortable with this request then don’t do it. Don’t let anyone talk you into something you don’t want to do.”

“But my duty—”

“Bullshit,” Reyes cut him off. “Nothing in your job description speaks about fathering children. Seriously, Scott. She was out of line to even ask that of you. Say no.”

Scott remained silent for a while, mulling it over. Then he gave a sigh of relief.

“Yeah, you’re right. I’ll say no. Thanks.”

Scott leaned into his touch, resting his head against Reyes’ shoulder. Reyes kissed his forehead and stroked his hair, slowly feeling his lover’s muscles relax. At one point he even thought that Scott had fallen asleep. That wasn’t the case; Scott spoke suddenly, surprising him.

“If I ever decide to have kids they will be wanted. And I’ll be there for them as much as I can.”

Reyes hummed thoughtfully. Kids… Not something he’d ever even considered, not in any serious capacity. Not with the nature of his work, not with his other half always on some errand at the other side of the galaxy, not with all the memories of his own deadbeat father souring his perspective. Children meant more responsibility, more people he’d need to protect, more weaknesses his enemies might use. And the benefits? Would a tiny human ever look up at him with love and an ocean of trust? Would he hold an innocent person in his arms and shape their future the best he could?

Scary thought.

“You want to be a father one day, Scott?” he asked gingerly.

“I don’t know. Maybe.” Scott shrugged again, not changing his position. “And that’s a huge maybe. Thirty years from now. We’ll see how it goes. For now, I’m perfectly happy having a hamster. And a pyjak. And you, of course.” He pulled back to look into Reyes’ eyes, smiling.

“My, what great company you crammed me into.” Reyes smirked, raising an eyebrow at him. “I hope you don’t think of me as one of your pets, Ryder?”

“Nah, you’re far more entertaining. And, unlike my idiot pyjak, you don’t pee all over my ship, yours truly included.”

Reyes burst out laughing.

“Maybe I need to start? Mark my terrain. Tell others to stay away.”

“Reyes Vidal, have I just discovered a new kink of yours?” Scott said with an innocent smile that would fool absolutely no one.

Reyes laughed again and bit possessively on his lover’s lips. Maybe they didn’t want children now, maybe they never would. Regardless, sex with Scott was something he looked forward too.


	20. Swinging Both Ways

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott has a few questions about bisexuality and wonders if Reyes would want to trade him for a woman one day (spoiler alert: no). 
> 
> **Fluff. Bisexuality.**

**“I’m not jealous.”**

 

Panting heavily, a stupidly smug grin on his face, Scott flopped down on the pillow, snuggling close to his lover. Reyes, smiling as well, wrapped an arm around his sweaty body. After sex, Scott always turned into a cuddly octopus – lazy, boneless and clingy. Reyes found it adorable. His hand stroked Scott’s back in a tender gesture, giving him time to catch his breath and come to his senses again.

That usually didn’t take long and before he knew it Scott was rambling on and on about everything and nothing. Reyes, although he felt moderately guilty about it, only half-listened to the onslaught of words, his attention focused primarily on the beautiful sight in front of him: Scott with blush-colored cheeks, swollen lips, eyes glistening with mirth. He never looked prettier than in those moments of shared intimacy. Smiling, Reyes kept thinking that he was a lucky man.

This time, though, Scott remained quiet, silence stretching between them. Not an uncomfortable one, but one that vibrated with unspoken things. There was something on Scott’s mind, Reyes could tell. He didn’t want to pry so he said nothing, allowing him to speak up only when he was ready.  

That moment finally came after a few minutes.

“Reyes?”

“Yes, Scott?”

“You like men and women, right?”

“Yes?” he replied warily, feeling rather uncomfortable. He had a decent idea where this was potentially going and he didn’t particularly like it.

“Which do you prefer?” Scott asked, propping himself up on an elbow, chin resting on his palm. His gaze was curious, expectant.

“I don’t have a preference,” he replied with a shrug, wishing that the topic would end at that. “I fall in love with people, not with their gender.”

“So I have twice as many people to look out for, huh?” Scott said this in a light, joking tone, but his eyes flashed dangerously.

Reyes sighed. So it was _that_ conversation after all. Every single goddamn time he had to go through a variant of it with every lover that was more than just a one-night stand. He was so sick and tired of it.

“Scott, I’m with you now,” he said as patiently as he could, even though he wanted to scream. “I’m not interested in anyone else, man or woman.”

“Well, you keep telling me that you’re a greedy man, don’t be surprised that I’m concerned.” The pout on Scott’s face was cute enough to diffuse Reyes’ exasperation a little.

“I am indeed a greedy man, but you are more than I ever hoped for.”

Scott smiled. That answer was definitely to his liking. In one fluid, almost feline motion he climbed on top of Reyes, planting a hand on both sides of his lover’s head. He rolled his hips, a languid gesture, more possessive than sexual in nature, asserting his dominance. A cat fawning on a human to rub its scent and mark them as its own.

“I’m not jealous, you know,” he said, leaning in for a kiss, one that was received favorably. “I’m curious. I just… I don’t find female bodies attractive. Not in the least. What is it like being with a woman?” he asked, sounding genuinely interested.  

“You mean like sex?”

“Yeah.”

Reyes had to think about that for a moment.

“Well… With women there’s usually less hair involved.” He smiled, letting his hand brush against his lover’s stubble. Scott was so proud of this patchy pseudo-beard, far more than was warranted. But then, Scott was the least hairy man Reyes had ever known – ‘not manly enough,’ which made him somewhat insecure despite being drop dead gorgeous. Because of that, Reyes didn’t poke fun at him, even good-naturedly, not wanting to hurt him. On the contrary, he always tried to compliment him, boosting his confidence. And it was working.

“What else?” Scott asked, leaning into the touch with a smile.

“They have more curves and their bodies are softer.” He let his other hand slide along Scott’s side, his hip, his ass, his muscular thigh. Scott enjoyed that, judging by the glints in his eyes. “They smell and taste differently. They have breasts too, obviously, which is nice. And penetrative sex requires less hassle.”

“So they’re overall better?” Once again with the pout.

Reyes shook his head vehemently.

“That’s not what I’m saying. They’re not better or worse, they’re just different.” He paused for a moment and added in an impish, conspiratorial tone, “But between you and me, I like going down on men better.”

Scott grinned and rewarded the reply with an appreciative kiss.

“Good.” Another kiss, this time more passionate. “So, I’m enough for you then?”

“Definitely. I don’t want anyone else, Scott.”

“Glad we established that.” A mischievous smile tugged at the corner of Scott’s lips. “And about that going down thing…”

Reyes smirked, raising an eyebrow. “Don’t you have a refractory period?”

“Never heard of it,” Scott replied cheekily, flipping them over. Once again under Reyes, he smiled coyly, biting his lip, his eyes darkening with desire.

Damn.  How could he even try to resist him?

“Insatiable, aren’t you?” Reyes hummed, his lips moving to nibble at Scott’s neck.

With Scott’s satisfied gasp in his ear, his fingernails grazing his back, Reyes thought that he was a lucky man indeed.

 

 


	21. What You Deserve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes Reyes gets insecure and thinks that Scott deserves a better man than him. SAM won’t stand for that.
> 
> **Smut, fluff, hurt/comfort**

A moan, a shudder, muscles clenching around him. The surge of pleasure he rode out, his head thrown back, his hands clenching on Scott’s hips hard enough to leave marks. Spent, he fell on his lover’s back, completely boneless.

“You’re heavy,” came the complaint from beneath him, far too blissed out to have any real bite.

“And you’re comfortable,” he countered and left a sweet kiss on Scott’s shoulder, nuzzling against his neck. Scott giggled but the insistent wiggle of his ass was telling enough. Reyes slipped out with a wet, obscene sound, the only thing apart from their quickened breaths that stood out in the silence of the room. Reyes’ apartment was uncharacteristically quiet, no screaming and no shootings outside. All was well in Kadara Port.

Scott flopped onto the mattress on his usual side of the bed and rolled onto his back. Reyes lay on his side, his eyes trained on the Pathfinder’s reddened face. He looked so beautiful here, no words could do him justice. Reyes leaned closer and caught his lips between his own. The lazy kiss, the connection between them, it was perfect.

Scott sighed happily, relaxed and at ease.

“I can’t think of anything to make this moment better,” he said, his eyes shining like stars in the semi-darkness of the room.

Reyes felt his chest swell. He had to diffuse the situation or risk saying something far too heartfelt and/or cheesy even by his own standards.

“Actually, I can. I’d rather not be lying in a puddle of your cum.”

Scott blinked at him and then totally lost it, peals of undignified laughter leaving his throat.

“You know, I’m leaking yours from my ass as we speak, so who has it worse, hm?”

“Oh my.” Reyes grinned, pausing for yet another kiss. “Who would have thought that the human Pathfinder could be so filthy? What would the good people on the Nexus say if they knew?”

“My filthiness is my own business.” The pout on Scott’s face was so adorable that Reyes simply had to bestow upon him an appreciative smooch. And tease him a little more.

“I can see it now… Andromeda’s first reality show, ‘In Bed With the Pathfinder,’ which would focus on your sexual life. Imagine the ratings! Tann would piss himself from happiness.”

Scott groaned, smacking him lightly on the shoulder.

“If that ever happens I’m stealing a shuttle and returning to the Milky Way.”

“Will you have room for one more person in this shuttle?” Reyes asked.

“For you? Always.”

Reyes chuckled and gathered Scott into his arms. As much as they both could use a shower, neither was too keen to leave the comforts of the bed. Eyes closed, Scott used his biotics to cover them with a blanket. Soon enough Reyes could hear his breathing getting more even, calmer. Scott had fallen asleep.

Reyes didn’t want to follow him into the land of dreams. Couldn’t. Too many things on his mind. He reached out and smoothed a damp strand of hair from Scott’s forehead. So strong, so handsome, so amazing… A good man.

Reyes sighed.

“ _Reyes, is everything all right?_ ”

He jerked, surprised by SAM’s quiet voice. Sometimes he forgot that they were never truly alone and that the AI operated even when the Pathfinder was unconscious.

“I’m fine,” he replied on instinct, the words rolling off his tongue without even engaging the brain.

“ _I detect with 97% accuracy that you are lying._ ”

Reyes glowered at Scott’s ear for lack of any physical manifestation of SAM to focus on. Hard to be properly angry at an incorporeal voice.

“Why do you care?” he said, defensive.

“ _Scott does. Your presence in his life makes him happy. That is why, by extension, I am also concerned for the wellbeing of his source of happiness. Which is you._ ”

Reyes let out a humorless chuckle. SAM could make everything sound so clinical.

“It’s nothing. Really.”

“ _I detect with 99.5% accuracy that you are lying._ ”

Oh for God’s sake…

“Sometimes I just think that I don’t deserve him. That’s all.”

If Reyes hoped that a little honesty would get the AI off his back, he was sadly mistaken.

“ _Scott anticipated that you might display such sentiments and he has prepared a message that I am supposed to play for you in case of it manifesting while he is asleep._ ”

Reyes raised an eyebrow and looked at his sleeping lover. He couldn’t help feeling curious.

“Okay, SAM. I’ll bite. Play it.”

“ _As you wish._ ” There was a pause. And then Scott’s voice sounded loud and clear. It felt so bizarre since the real Scott was still fast asleep.

“Reyes, for a man so smart you can be pretty dumb sometimes, you know that?” He could hear a smile in Scott’s recorded voice and he could picture him shaking his head. The tone that followed was warmer. “I want you. Only you. So stop with this self-deprecating crap and go to sleep already. And kiss me first thing in the morning. I won’t say no to breakfast in bed either.”

The message ended. Reyes laughed, quiet so as not to disturb Scott.

“You’re a ridiculous man.” He leaned over and kissed his lover’s forehead, his hand cupping his cheek. All tender and open, without any of his usual hesitation. Scott couldn’t hear him anyway. “I’m so lucky to have you, my love.”

Before he allowed himself to fall asleep, he sent a message arranging everything. Tomorrow a breakfast worthy of the King of Kadara’s consort would be waiting for Scott. But first, of course, would come the kiss.


	22. Colleagues from Work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reyes wants to know a bit more about other Pathfinders. Scott is happy to share some thoughts. And feelings. 
> 
> **Fluff, hurt/comfort**

“You know...” Reyes said, placing a lazy kiss on Scott’s naked shoulder. The kadaran sunset painted both of their skins the richest shades of gold. “Finding the arks has been a favorite of mine from all of your achievements.”

“The arks?” Scott blinked, taken aback. That certainly wasn’t what he expected, not at all. It made no sense. Reyes surely had to put much more value on something Kadara-related, like activating the vault for example. Why would Reyes even care about the arks? Although, seeing the playful smile on his face, it might all be just a joke. “Why? More people to sell your smuggled goods to?”

“That too,” he hummed, running his fingers up and down Scott’s chest. “Always nice to have a boost to the economy, all those new faces craving something I can get for them. But that’s not what I meant.”

“So what did you mean?” Scott asked, his forehead creased.

“The other Pathfinders,” Reyes replied. “There’s four of you now so the fate of the whole cluster doesn’t rest solely on your shoulders. You can actually catch a breath sometimes. And visit me more often. I like that development.”

Scott chuckled, feeling a pleasant warmth tugging at his heart.

“Well, if you put it like that… I do enjoy my little breaks here.” A sweet kiss landed on Reyes’ lips. Scott wouldn’t mind just cuddling and slowly drifting off to sleep, but Reyes wasn’t done with the topic, curiosity getting the better of him.

“Do you guys hang out?” he asked, propping himself up on his elbow. Scott reached out to smooth a few strands of hair from his forehead. He always loved to see his lover like this, so relaxed and disheveled. A privilege not many people could boast. Reyes kissed his wrist before continuing. “Do you all meet for drinks after work and bitch about Tann?”

Scott laughed, deep and rumbling. He found the image hilarious.

“Not really, sorry to disappoint. Not often, at least. I mean we’re all rarely on the Nexus at the same time. But when we are…” Scott trailed off, recalling a few memories. “Actually… yeah, we do spend time together when we get the chance. Share stories, experiences, information. They understand, you know?” And because he anticipated that Reyes would take that the wrong way, he quickly pressed their lips together to kiss away the beginning of a scowl. “I’m not saying that you don’t understand me. You do. Better than anyone. But some things you simply can’t. Pathfinders’ stuff. Like having SAM in your head. Or dealing with all the bureaucratic bullshit the Nexus has to offer.”

“Oh, I understand that last part very well, trust me,” Reyes admitted with a crooked smile. “One of the reasons I ended up on Kadara in the first place.”

Scott chuckled. He supposed that was right.

“So what are they like?” Reyes pushed on. “Other Pathfinders?”

“You want me to tell you more about them?” Scott said, incredulous.

“Why not? They’re big fish here in our Andromeda pond. Why wouldn’t I want to know more about them? And besides, they’re important to you so automatically they’re important to me.”

“I hope you’re not trying to extract classified information from me, Mr. Vidal?” Scott teased.

“Scott, I am an honest liar and I feel offended,” Reyes responded in kind.

“Good. Because my lips are sealed.”

“Not when you moan my name.”

Scott swatted his shoulder lightly.

“Okay, if you really want to know.” Giving in to the request wasn’t hard. He was happy to share a bit more about his life with Reyes. The Initiative secrets were off limits of course, but some personal feelings about his coworkers didn’t belong to the forbidden pile. “So first there’s Raeka. The only Pathfinder who was picked and trained for the role. She’s definitely the smartest and most competent of us all. Speaks approximately two hundred words a minute but you can get used to that. Especially since she knows what she’s talking about most of the time.”

“You can’t expect anything else from a salarian. That’s their thing.”

“Yeah. I really like her. Well… then there’s Vederia. She’s still young, for an asari, and inexperienced. She hasn’t even finished her training yet. Seems a bit overwhelmed with everything that’s going on, but I’m sure she’ll find her footing in the end. When we’re both free I do like to get into biotic duels with her. She’d never won so far.” Scott gave him a shit-eating grin. Beating an asari at biotics was not a small feat.

“I never doubted in your space magic.” The compliment was followed by a kiss, very well received. Scott snuggled closer to his lover, arms wrapped around his waist, face nesting in the crook of his neck. Reyes’ hands meandered across his back, making his muscles melt to butter.

“Scott?”

“Mhm?”

“What about the turian Pathfinder?”

Scott tensed.

“Scott?” Instantly, Reyes was on high alert. “Do you have some problems with him?”

“No, no…” Scott sighed. He could feel Reyes’ intent gaze on him, prompting him to go on. “Avitus is a friend and a good soldier…”

“I can tell that there’s a ‘but’ coming.”

Scott nodded, a grim expression on his face.

“But he’s still hurting. He still hasn’t recovered.”

“Recovered from what?”

“From Macen, the original turian Pathfinder, dying.” The words left a salty aftertaste on his tongue, like tears. “Avitus and Macen were lovers.”

Silence ruled over the room for a long while.

“I see,” Reyes replied finally. Scott could tell that he understood. He lifted his head to look into those golden eyes, so alive and so warm.

“If something happened to you, I–”

Reyes didn’t let him finish, a kiss silencing the pained words on his lips.

“Don’t think about that, Scott,” he said, softly. “Don’t. We’re fine. We’ll be fine. I promise.”

Scott, locked safely in Reyes’ embrace, believed him. He desperately needed to.


	23. Sleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott seeks Reyes out for some nice beauty sleep.

Reyes yawned, not bothering to cover his mouth. He was alone after all, in his own flat, no reason to concern himself with such trivialities as good manners. The clock on his omni-tool told him that it was almost one AM local time. Usually he got to bed around three or even later – or earlier, depending on your point of view – but he felt tired today. The planet wouldn’t collapse if he called it a day ahead of schedule.

Reyes stretched his arms and sighed, feeling a painful kink in his neck. Nothing that a long, warm shower couldn’t fix. He wondered briefly if Scott had gotten such amenities tonight. The Pathfinder team was supposed to explore some newly discovered remnant ruins deep in the badlands. Reyes had never been in one, caution over idle curiosity, but from what he had heard it was hardly a walk in the park. Good thing that Scott could take care of himself.

Reyes wasn’t worried, not really. At any rate, he’d call his lover in the morning.

Just to be sure.

He was on his way to the bathroom when a slight vibration of his omni-tool caught his attention. Silent alarm had been tripped. Someone was at the door.

Reyes tensed for a second, but his instincts took over. He quickly grabbed a gun from one of many hidden stashes and hid behind the wall, his back plastered to it. Holding his breath, he could now hear a fumbling attempt at punching in the code to open the door. The error message caused the intruder to spew a string of curses. And then to call his name.

“Reyes! I know you’re in there, open up!”

He knew that voice. A surprise, but not an unpleasant one.

Scott…

Still, as Reyes’ mischievous streak readily supplied, his lover deserved a bit of teasing for giving him a start.

“Who’s there?” he asked, coming closer to the door.

“Me.”

“Me who?”

Reyes could almost hear Scott’s eye roll.

“Your boyfriend.”

“Which one?”

Scott’s patience had run thin.

“Open up, you asshole.”

Reyes sighed.

“I gave you the code, you forgot it?”

“No, but I’m too tired to see the buttons. Open up or I’ll pass out on your doorstep.”

Reyes finally punched in the code. The door slid open. Without any prompting, Scott, holding his helmet under his armpit, came inside, pushing past him. Reyes sized him up. Scott truly didn’t look good. Deep shadows under his eyes, skin so pale that it was almost translucent, a certain sluggishness in his movements, as if the only thing keeping him standing was his full armor. Stiffly, he walked to the table and started to peel pieces of the N7 off his body.

“Are you okay? What happened?” Reyes asked, approaching him to offer assistance. At first glance Scott didn’t appear to be hurt, but something was wrong, that much was certain.

“Peebee stepped onto some kind of trap and we got jumped in the ruins.” He sighed, accidentally letting his gauntlet fall to the floor. Reyes picked it up. Scott didn’t even seem to notice. “Three Destroyers, thirty Observers and at least a hundred Assemblers. I don’t remember the last time a fight got so ugly. Had less trouble with an Architect.”

“But you won, of course?” Reyes let Scott lean on him as they both struggled with the lower part of the armor. He truly felt almost boneless, like overcooked pasta.

“Sure we did. I’m completely drained though. Even thinking about using biotics gives me the mother of all headaches.”

“Why did you come here if you’re so tired?” Reyes asked, helping Scott out of his black lycra undersuit. “You should have crashed at Ditaeon, much closer.”

“There’s no you in Ditaeon…”

Scott was half asleep now, almost a dead weight in Reyes’ arms, the words slurring into one. And precisely because of that, Reyes’ heart melted.

“Come on,” he said, kissing Scott’s shoulder. The Pathfinder was clammy, stinky and stained with something resembling oil. And yet still perfect. “Let’s get you to bed.”

Scott nodded half-heartedly, letting Reyes guide him to the bedroom. He was snoring even before his body hit the mattress. Reyes tucked him in and kissed his lover’s cheek. For a moment he just stared at Scott, all these unnamed emotions swirling inside his head. He wasn’t used to someone offering him that much trust. Not buying it for a horrendous fee, but giving it freely and with love. He was truly a lucky man.

The shower could wait until morning. And if things went well, he wouldn’t shower alone then.

Reyes stripped down to his underwear and slipped under the covers right next to Scott, his hand splayed on the Pathfinder’s chest. A few seconds later he was fast asleep as well, blissfully unaware that his boyfriend had somehow parked the Nomad vertically right next to the front door.


	24. A Glimpse into the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reyes’ past is a heavily guarded secret, even from the people closest to him. When a small glimpse into it is offered, Scott jumps at the opportunity to learn more about his lover. But can he be satisfied only with scraps? 
> 
> **Domestic fluff**

Reyes’ flat wasn’t huge, but taking into account Kadara’s general living conditions it could perhaps even be called luxurious. A bathroom with a shower, a cozy bedroom, a spacious living room with an outstanding view of Kadara Port, and a small kitchen made for a comfortable lodging. Perks of being the Charlatan, Scott supposed.

Scott liked coming here. Usually when he had a few days of shore leave they moved to the Pathfinder’s quarters in Ditaeon, turning it into their own private love nest and a safe haven where no one would bother them. This time though the Pathfinder only had a few hours to spare. Officially, he shouldn’t even be here, charged with running a few ‘extremely important errands’ for the Initiative, but he figured that the galaxy wouldn’t implode if he took a small detour to visit his boyfriend, whom he hadn’t seen for far too long.

The plan was simple, really: dinner first (because he was starving), sex later (for the very same reason) and then finally sharing a bottle of whiskey on the rooftop, which had become sort of a tradition at this point. Nothing could beat Mount Milgrom and their first proper kiss, but it still felt nice, sweetening the inevitable heartache of having to say goodbye again for God knew how long.

Scott didn’t want to think of goodbyes, not right now. Hearing Reyes bustling about the kitchen, busy concocting some culinary masterpiece, Scott roamed the living room, looking around curiously. Almost everything here, from the furniture to various knick-knacks, seemed to be angara-made. Maybe Keema helped the Charlatan to procure the flat’s contents. Or maybe it was already here before Reyes moved in. Not too many personal objects on display, at any rate.

“Hey, Reyes?”

“Yeah?” He emerged from the kitchen, wearing a cutesy blue apron over his usual clothes. The first time Scott saw his boyfriend like this, he’d laughed so hard that he nearly choked on his own spit. Even now, seeing it for the umpteenth time, he still couldn’t contain a stupidly wide grin.

“Shouldn’t you be watching over the pots?”

“The stew needs to… hm, stew for twenty more minutes. Everything’s under control, I promise,” he assured him with a smile, coming nearer. He snaked his arms around Scott’s waist, who instinctively put his on Reyes’ shoulders. The kiss was unavoidable, followed by a couple more, given freely as their bodies swayed gently to the joint rhythm of their hearts. “You wanted something from me?” he asked, pulling away slightly.

“Yeah, actually I wanted to ask you something.”

“Yes?”

“Did you bring anything with you from the Milky Way? Everything I see here seems local,” Scott said, gesturing vaguely around him.

“Hm, a couple of things. But I left most of them behind on the Nexus.”

“Most? Not all, then?” Scott prompted, wanting to coax a little more out of him. Reyes’ life before Andromeda was one giant mystery.

Reyes hesitated but gave in eventually, not able to resist Scott’s puppy eyes for long.

“I did manage to smuggle something out, yes.”

“What? Show me. Please?” Scott insisted with so much enthusiasm that Reyes simply had to fulfill his request.

“Fine, fine.” He let go of him and walked to one of the cabinets. He opened the drawer and took something out of it, bringing the item to Scott.

Scott’s eyes widened in surprise.

It was a framed photo of Reyes himself. Not just any photo, though. The photo, in which Reyes had a military haircut, wore a full uniform, and had one hand making a salute while the other held a certificate stating that he was officially a pilot now, had clearly been taken during graduation from Alliance Navy. Despite the overall gravitas of the photo, in it Reyes was smiling brightly with his usual roguish smugness.

Scott suddenly forgot how to use his tongue.

“Holy shit,” he whispered when he regained that skill. “You were in the Alliance?”

Reyes chuckled.

“Not for long. And it was a lifetime ago.”

“Yeah, literally.” Scott shook his head, still quite overwhelmed. And as usual in that kind of situation, his mind decided to spew some nonsense to cope. “I kinda wonder how the Academy looks now. Did they fix that leaking tap on the second floor or were six hundred years not enough for that?”

Reyes shrugged. “Guess we’ll never know.”

They fell silent, each lost in their own thoughts. Scott felt a rush of nostalgia. All the places that were once dear to him, all those he could never visit. But that was all in the past. The Milky Way was out of their reach now, Andromeda was their new home.

“You look happy in this photo,” Scott said, coming back to reality.

“I was,” he confirmed. “I love piloting. And I’m damn good at it. The best.” He flashed him one of his confident smiles that Scott loved so much

“So why didn’t you stay in the Alliance?”

“Problems with authority. I see a pattern here.” Reyes chuckled, but there was something behind his smile, some kind of sadness, hurt. A longer story to be told.

“Care to share some details?” Scott asked, hopeful.

Reyes turned around and walked to the cabinet, placing the photo again in the drawer.

“Maybe some other time,” he said without looking at him.

Scott’s smile faltered, but he swallowed his disappointment without saying a word. For some reason Reyes didn’t like to talk about certain things. And although curiosity burned in Scott’s veins like lava, he needed to respect that. He wouldn’t push him. But he could do something else.

Scott went to his boyfriend and hugged him from behind.

“You know, you were really handsome.” He smiled against Reyes’ neck.

“Past tense?” he hummed, pretending to be offended.

Scott laughed.

“Every tense.” He gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “But that uniform, damn…”

“Why, Scott, do you have a kink I know nothing about? ”

“Well… Every boy likes a pilot, yeah? ”

“Careful or I’ll start being jealous of Kallo.”

Scott gasped, scandalized. “Excuse me, I’m interested only in one particular pilot.”

“Oh? Which one then?” he teased.

“The one currently wearing a cute apron.”

Smiling, Reyes brought Scott’s hand to his lips and brushed them against his knuckles. Sometimes words weren’t needed to say the most important things.


	25. Science and Progress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott shares a secret with Reyes. A tragic one.
> 
> **Hurt/comfort**

**Please come with me**

 

“Please, come with me. I need to show you something.”

Even under the best of circumstances Reyes found it nearly impossible to refuse Scott. And now, when his lover uttered his request in a soft, wistful tone, Reyes had no other choice but to follow obediently without question.

For the last couple of days Scott had been out of sorts. Reyes noticed it first during their vidcalls, confirming it later in person when the Pathfinder touched down on Kadara. Scott seemed subdued, as if carrying a burden far too heavy for his shoulders, his usually bright and lively eyes filled with uncharacteristic melancholy. Reyes asked him what was wrong, but got only a half-hearted assurance that everything was fine. He didn’t press on, knowing that some secrets needed time to come to light. It seemed that time was now.

Scott kept silent the whole journey to Meridian and Reyes quickly gave up on any attempts to strike up a conversation. All he could do was be there for him, a quiet, but hopefully comforting presence.

Once they landed near the Hyperion, Scott took his hand, his palm sweaty and his grip like a vise, and guided him towards the Cryo Bay. Most of the pods were empty now, as the colonists had been woken up and shipped off to different planets. But there were still quite a few people in deep slumber, blissfully unaware of everything that had happened in the cluster.

Scott went to the terminal and typed in some numbers. The machines whirred, lowering one of the pods to ground level. Scott went closer and put his hand on the lid, his expression pained and somber.

“Elizabeth Reilly,” he said.

Reyes searched his memory but that name meant nothing to him. He waited for an explanation, which came a moment later.

“Officially, at least. But in reality it’s Ellen Ryder. My mother.”

“What?” escaped Reyes’s mouth, but he quickly collected himself again. “I thought your mother was dead.”

“I thought so too,” Scott sighed. “I only recently found out the truth. My father put my mom in cryostasis, hoping that one day we’ll find a cure for her sickness. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier, I decided with Sara to keep this a secret.”

Reyes shook his head, showing that he wasn’t upset. He was the last person who would condemn someone for keeping a secret.

“But that’s… good, right?” Reyes said carefully. From what he’d heard, Scott and his mother were really close. “She is here, she can be saved. You can still be together.”

Scott’s gaze dropped to the floor. Tears glistened in his eyes.

“I spoke to an asari scientist a couple of days ago. She told me that with our current state of knowledge and our resources it would take years to develop a cure. Over a hundred, maybe two, and that’s an optimistic estimation.”

Reyes felt his chest clench painfully. He didn’t know what to say, his heart breaking as he saw the anguish painted across Scott’s features.

“So even if she can be cured, I’ll be long…” Scott’s voice faltered, words turning into a heart-wrenching sob. He brought his hand to his face to hide the tears spilling over onto his cheeks.

Reyes acted on impulse. He gathered Scott into his arms, stroked his hair, held him as the man cried his heart out. Words of comfort began flowing, mentions of yet unexplored Jaardan technology, of all the knowledge the angara had gathered, of all the planets with their marvelous ecosystems still waiting to be discovered. There was still hope.

Reyes wasn’t sure if Scott believed him – he wasn’t sure if he believed himself – but eventually Scott calmed down. Sniffing, he pulled away and wiped the tears with his sleeve. Slightly embarrassed by this outburst, he looked so young and vulnerable. Reyes had never loved him more.

“Thank you for coming here with me,” Scott said, his voice still a little hoarse.

“I’m here for you,” Reyes replied, his words serious, sympathetic, truthful. “Always.”

“I know.” A faint smile flickered across Scott’s lips. Beautiful, sad, but with a hint of his usual optimistic self. A small victory.

Reyes leaned closer and placed a gentle kiss on his lover’s temple.

“Would you care for a drink?” he proposed. Scott could definitely use one right now. “I know a guy around here who can give me a discount.”

“You never pay for your drinks anyway.” Scott reached for his hand, squeezing it lightly.

“Ah, yes, part of my roguish charm. Heard from a certain Pathfinder that guys dig it.”

Scott’s soft chuckle was the best reward Reyes could imagine. That was the least he could do – make his lover smile even in the darkest moments. 


	26. Goo Glue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s the first anniversary of Scott’s and Reyes’ relationship so Jaal wants to prepare something nice for his best friend. Unfortunately, humans sometimes react to angaran food in unpredictable ways. 
> 
> **Crack**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a serious writer, I swear.

**Things you said through your teeth**

 

“Jaal, you really didn’t have to,” said Scott with an awkward smile, a little overwhelmed. Sitting at the kitchen table with his boyfriend by his side, and the overexcited angara opposite them, he couldn’t take his eyes off a huge plate filled with a greenish, gooey substance glowing with an ominous purple aura.

Reyes didn’t even try to hide the horror painted across his features. Jaal in his bubbly, hyperactive state didn’t seem to notice.

“But I wanted to!” he replied eagerly, his smile brighter than a supernova. “You are my best friend, Scott, and today is the first anniversary of your mating union with Reyes. This is a worthy cause for celebration and for the special angaran pudding!” He pointed at the culinary abomination with pride, as if it was his first-born child.

Scott sighed inwardly. Asking Jaal not to refer to their relationship as a ‘mating union’ was a lost cause.

Reyes, appalled, stared at Scott and shook his head discreetly, mouthing the word ‘radioactive.’ Scott, in a similar conspiratorial fashion, shrugged helplessly. Reyes shook his head again, more forcefully. They could go on like this for hours, having a whole conversation without even uttering a sentence aloud. But right now they didn’t have hours and Scott had made his decision already. Refusing the gift prepared with so much thoughtfulness would be a douchey thing to do. He couldn’t do that to Jaal, it would feel too much like kicking a kitten. The biggest space kitten in existence.

“Thanks, Jaal. That’s sweet of you.”

Jaal positively beamed when Scott scooped some of the pudding with a spoon and put it bravely on his plate. Under the Pathfinder’s scolding glare, Reyes gave in, albeit not very happy about it. With utmost suspicion, careful as if he was handling a biological weapon of mass destruction, Reyes dabbed a token amount of the goo onto his plate.

The silence was stretching into awkward territory. Reluctantly, Scott picked up his fork, which strangely enough weighed more than two tons.

“Smells delicious,” he lied, trying not to gag. He patted the suspicious jello, wishing it away and sending it mentally back to whatever dark pit of hell it crawled out from. Jaal’s expectant gaze seemed to be drilling a hole in his skull.

Scott couldn’t delay the inevitable any longer. With an expression more valiant than he truly felt, he gathered some of the pudding on the fork and then put it inside his mouth.

“Mhm, so good,” Scott lied again, doing his best to ignore the screams of his taste buds as they writhed in agony. He forced his jaws to move, to chew through this supposedly edible equivalent of a burning tire, while trying to keep his stomach from going topsy-turvy.

Reyes stared at him as if he had an undertaker on speed-dial, but Jaal clapped his hands like an excited seal.

“I’m so happy that you’re enjoying it! It’s a special recipe from my mother. I… well, I admit that I have forgotten half of it and had to… improvise, but I’m happy that I was still able to prepare it for you!”

“That’s reassuring,” muttered Reyes, past the point of subtlety.

“Come on, Reyes, it’s your turn to– mhm?” Scott paused suddenly, a look of confusion spreading quickly across his features, one that was soon mirrored by his companions.

“What’s wrong?” asked Reyes with worry.

“Mhm!”

“Huh?”

Scott pointed angrily to his clenched teeth and his lips. Unmoving. Sealed shut by the purplish sauce.

“MHM!”

“You can’t… open your mouth?” Reyes figured it out first. Scott nodded vigorously. “For real?”

Scott’s head bobbed in frustration.

Reyes, the supportive boyfriend he was, burst out laughing. Scott flipped him off.

Jaal didn’t take it all too well.

“Scott, are you okay?” His voice was tiny, his face scrunched as if he was seconds away from wailing like a siren. “I am so sorry, I didn’t mean for that to happen. I have ruined your anniversary.”

“Mhm, mhm…” Scott patted his shoulder in a comforting manner, waved his hand flippantly and showed him a thumbs-up to convey the message that he wasn’t upset with him.

That little pantomime left Reyes in stitches.

“You’re adorable. You should stay like this…” All the knives in the kitchen began floating, lifted up by biotic power, the blades aiming straight at Reyes’ chest. And yet Scott’s glare somehow managed to be even more threatening. “…or we can go to Lexi and fix this,” Reyes amended smoothly. The knives fell down with an assenting clang.

“Mhm.” Scott nodded firmly, standing up. But then suddenly his feet weren’t touching the ground anymore, as his body started to levitate on its own. For a moment at least, before he realized that he’d found himself in Jaal’s arms, being held bridal style.

“Mhm? Mhm!” Scott flailed like the world’s most ungainly fish out of water, but the angara’s reliable arms were like a vise. Scott gave Reyes a look begging him for help.

Seeing his boyfriend pressed against the chest of another man, the Charlatan stopped having so much fun.

“Jaal, I’m fairly sure that your culinary masterpiece hasn’t damaged his legs as well,” he said, jealousy fueling his snark. “Put him down.”

“No. I need to make sure that he gets safely to the med bay.” Jaal was adamant about it. “What if he trips?”

“Then I should be the one to carry him.”

“No offense, but your human arms are too puny to carry him with ease.”

“My human arms are strong enough to punch you in the gut if you won’t give him to me.”

“I’d like to see you try.”

If Scott rolled his eyes even a smidgen harder, they would probably fall out of their sockets.

“Mhm!” he grunted with exasperation because these two certainly had skewed priorities. It must have been all that testosterone fizzling in the air – they were too eager to deck one another to pay him any mind.

Scott had had enough of that. 

“Mhm!” A burst of biotic energy was enough to let him slip out of the clutches of a surprised Jaal. Not giving them time to react, he stomped out of the kitchen, making a beeline towards the med bay. Or maybe a waspline, given his foul mood. Reyes and Jaal must have temporarily buried the hatchet because almost immediately Scott heard two sets of footsteps behind him.

“Scott, ready for your check–“ Lexi, lifting her gaze from the datapad she was reading, paused as she saw the Pathfinder with his entourage barging in into her kingdom.

“Mhm!” Scott didn’t beat around the bush and pointed to his jaw.

“What happened?” Her gaze wandered from Scott to Reyes and then to Jaal in search of answers. Shena rose to his nickname and provided one, punctured with a burning glare at Jaal.

“Jaal cooked the pudding of doom and it glued Scott’s lips and teeth together.”

“I didn’t mean to.” Jaal’s face was the embodiment of contrition.

Lexi did another round of staring and then simply sighed in motherly exasperation.

“Jaal, bring me a sample of this dish, will you?” she said, grabbing some medi-gel as the angara ran off. She cued Scott to sit down on the bed and he obeyed, flopping down on the mattress. Reyes kept close, torn between finding the whole situation hilarious or worrying.

Lexi tore the package open and applied the gel profusely onto Scott’s face, deaf to his grunts of discomfort and protest. Then she grabbed his chin and his cheek unceremoniously, trying to pry his mouth open. All she achieved was making Scott squeak in panic and shed tears like a waterfall. Reyes winced at the sound, but he wasn’t suicidal enough to interfere with the treatment.

The asari frowned and wiped the gel from Scott’s face, much to his relief.

“Can’t you do something more?” asked Reyes, his hand resting on Scott’s shoulder.

“Not until I know what did this to him.”

Thankfully, in that moment an apologetic Jaal entered the scene, carrying the whole plate with him. To Lexi’s credit, she didn’t flinch in disgust, even her nose scrunch was very subtle. Professional to the bone.

All three of them observed the doctor take a sample of the noxious pudding and put it in the machine, which instantly started to whirr as if possessed by an angry poltergeist.

“And?” asked Reyes, impatiently.

“Well, it seems that this particular blend of substances may turn to glue when exposed to human saliva.”

It was amazing how Scott’s grunt sounded exactly like the phrase ‘no shit.’

“Okay, so can you unglue him?” inquired Reyes.

Lexi pondered upon that question, her long finger tapping on her cheek. “Well, the quickest solution will probably be applying angaran saliva and using it as a solvent.”

“What?” said Reyes and Jaal in unison. Scott looked as if he was about to pass out.

“It should dissolve the glue. So, Jaal, if you would be so kind as to spit in a jar.”

“You want to smear Jaal’s spit onto Scott’s lips? That is disgusting.” Reyes made a face. “Isn’t there another way?”

“Alternately, he can just kiss him.”

Reyes gasped, outraged at the suggestion. With speed a cheetah would be jealous of, he grabbed one of the empty plastic tubes from the table and put it under Jaal’s lower lip.

“Spit.”

“Wouldn’t a kiss be less problematic and less messy?” asked Jaal. “I don’t mind kissing Scott.”

Reyes wasn’t amused. “I will murder you and your dog if you try.”

“What’s a dog?”

“A creature very good at drooling. Take notes.”

Scott groaned, hiding his face in his hands. He prodded SAM, asking him in his mind if he could perhaps stop his heart again or at least put him in a coma. For some reason the AI didn’t want to cooperate. If Scott didn’t know better, he’d say that SAM was cackling in binary code and enjoying the show.

An hour later Scott was free of the confines of the glue and a large portion of his dignity. 


	27. Things I Can't Forgive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A scientist from Ditaeon goes missing. Scott wants to discover what happened. He might not like the answer. 
> 
> **Angst**

**So it was you...**

 

Scott never expected the outpost on Kadara to operate smoothly, thinking as much would be foolish. A beautiful but ultimately hostile planet filled with even more hostile inhabitants was bound to cause problems, despite the Charlatan’s best efforts to maintain peace. Difficulties were simply inevitable, but the local staff usually managed to take care of them on their own. However, when one of the scientists from Ditaeon disappeared without a trace, that was simply too much. The Pathfinder had to sort this mess out personally.

First step, obviously, was to contact Reyes. No one else knew as much about what was going on on Kadara. If there was gossip circulating in the shadows, the Charlatan would have heard it all.

Much to Scott’s disappointment, Reyes proved to be as much in the dark as he was regarding the disappearance.

“Maybe there is no deep conspiracy here,” said Reyes with a shrug. “He might have fallen into a lake or got eaten by something. Even with the vault up and running the Badlands are still a dangerous place. Accidents happen.”

That wasn’t good enough for Scott. Giving up wasn’t in his nature. He dug, he searched, he used SAM to scan for evidence, he talked with people and gathered intelligence.

Finally his efforts paid off. The trail of breadcrumbs lead him to a sleazy turian with a scarred face, holed up in one of the alleys in the slums. The mercenary didn’t want to talk at first, but it was amazing how one’s perspective can change when you’re dangling upside down several feet above the ground, on the mercy of a pissed-off biotic.

“Okay, okay! I killed him and fed him to the adhi! Now put me down!” the turian shouted in panic.

“Why did you kill him?” Scott asked through his teeth.

“Why do you think? The payment was good, I don’t ask questions.”

Scott let him freefall a foot or so to remind him of his current predicament. He waited until the turian stopped screaming and pressed on.

“Who ordered the hit?”

The mercenary was reluctant to divulge that information, but one biotic throw combined with a skillful catch mere inches from the ground’s surface untied his tongue.

“The Charlatan!” the turian yelped, terrified out of his mind. The words flowed in a desperate attempt to save himself. “A Collective operative contacted me, told me that the Charlatan wanted the guy dead! And he gave a ton of money for it, that’s all I know!”

Scott listened to this in dismay, bile rising in his throat. The sickening taste of betrayal filled his mouth. He couldn’t believe it. Reyes was never a paragon of virtue, no way, but this was a new low. This time he lied right to his face. And not about some trivial crap, but about the murder of an Initiative member.

Scott seethed with rage. He let the turian fall to the ground and told his team to handle it. Not wasting any time, he turned on his heel and dashed straight to the Tartarus. Seeing the dark look on his face, people stepped away, letting him pass freely as he stomped up the stairs towards Reyes’ room.

“Ah, Scott, good to s–” Reyes stood up to greet him but stopped mid-sentence, surprised by the fury he faced.

“So, it was you,” Scott hissed, finger pointed right into Reyes’ face in an accusatory gesture. The door shut behind him, cutting them off from the rest of the club. “You had him killed!”

“I don’t know what y–”

“STOP LYING TO ME, YOU FUCKING BASTARD,” Scott boomed, the biotic pulse he unleashed pushing Reyes back and slamming him hard against the wall, knocking the wind out of him. Scott breathed heavily, on the verge of losing control. Purplish biotic aura surrounded him like a demonic halo. He was angry, he was hurt and he wanted answers. “You ordered a hit on that man from the outpost. I interrogated the merc, I know everything. Why? Why did you do it? And why did you lie to me?”

Reyes face was serious, free from that charming smile usually playing on his lips.

“I did this to protect you,” he replied simply.

“Cut the bullshit.”

“It’s true.” Reyes sighed, a whole spectrum of conflicting emotions reflected in his eyes. But when he spoke again his voice didn’t falter. The voice of the Charlatan. “You have no idea what a piece of shit that man was. You know what he did? He kept adding chemicals to the outposts’ water supplies, wanting to slowly poison the colonists and eventually kill them. A petty grudge that would kill dozens and irrevocably damage the Initiative.”

“No,” Scott said, stunned, his biotic energy dispersing. He had no reason to believe Reyes, not after what he had just pulled off, but… maybe he wanted to, despite everything. His head was spinning, he wasn’t sure what to think.

“Scott, I’m telling the truth. If you don’t want to take my word for it, I have all the evidence on my terminal.” Reyes pointed to the computer in the corner, but Scott didn’t move. He must have looked truly distraught because Reyes’s expression softened. He took a few steps in his direction but didn’t invade his personal space. “Imagine the scandal if the truth got out. People here have trouble trusting the Initiative as it is, we don’t need more complications. The trash had to be taken out quietly, without drawing attention. It simply had to be done. I kept it a secret because I didn’t want to upset you.”

“You didn’t trust me,” Scott said bitterly.

“No! It’s not like that!” Reyes protested, running his hand through his hair. “I trust you with my life. You know who I am, you could destroy me in a matter of seconds.” He paused, letting that sink in. “But telling you all this would…”

“Would what?” Scott prompted. When Reyes hesitated, he repeated more forcefully, “Would _what_?”

“Taint you,” Reyes admitted finally with an air of defeat.

“What?”

“You’re an idealist, Scott. You believe in the good in people. I don’t, I see things for what they are. I know that sometimes bad things need to happen to prevent even worse. I don’t enjoy getting my hands dirty, but I understand the necessity of it. I wanted… to spare you that. Let you believe that the world is a better place than it truly is. To protect you.”

“I’m not a child, you don’t have to protect me,” Scott spat. Reyes said nothing to that, which only angered him even more. “And that idealism, as you call it, let me fall in love with you, see you for more than just a criminal. But maybe I was wrong. Maybe all that was just my wishful thinking and you’re nothing but a thug after all.”

Reyes recoiled as if he had been slapped. Scott could see how badly those words hurt his lover, cutting deeper than any knife would.

“I still believe that I did the right thing here,” Reyes replied quietly, fists clenched. His hands shook, it cost him so much to keep his cool. “I protected the Initiative’s good name and the people living in the outpost. I chose the lesser evil. One man is dead but dozens will live.”

Scott sighed, shaking his head. “You just don’t get it, do you?”

“Get what?”

“Yes, I’m mad at you that you had that man murdered. He should have been brought to justice and not straight up killed. But it’s Kadara we’re talking about here, Andromeda’s Wild West, so things don’t always work out as I’d like. I’m just happy that the problem has been dealt with and no one else will get hurt,” Scott said matter-of-factly. The next words he uttered were far less collected. “What I’m really angry about is that you deceived me. I told you not to lie to me about the big stuff. And this is as big as it gets.”

Reyes was visibly taken aback. Shocked, even. Scott could almost see the gears turning in his head as he began to realize that perhaps his lover wasn’t as naïve and as pure as he wanted to believe. As was convenient to believe.

“I… apologize for lying to you.”

Scott rubbed his forehead, needing a moment to gather his thoughts.

“From now on, I want to know everything. Stop, not everything. But everything that is even remotely connected to the outpost or the Initiative. I’m officially appointing myself as your consultant for all outpost-related things. And you have to let me know before you make any moves. Understood?” That wasn’t a request, it was an order, and Reyes seemed to understand that. He stared at Scott pensively for a moment and then finally nodded.

“Yes.”

“Good. And don’t you even dare think of lying to me on these topics ever again. If you do I will personally drag your sorry ass to prison where it will rot. Am I making myself clear?”

“Yes.”

“Promise me that you won’t lie to me.”

“I promise.”

“Not good enough.” Scott shook his head again. “Swear on something that matters to you.”

A heartbeat. And then—

“I swear on you.”

Scott blinked. He wasn’t immune to the warmth and longing he saw in Reyes’ golden eyes. No lies could fake such affection. Scott swallowed and made his decision.

“I believe you,” he decided, letting go of all the anger he still felt. “Just don’t make me regret it.”

“I won’t. I swear.”

They stood there for a long while, neither of them saying anything or making a move. A part of Scott wanted to just cut the distance between them, step over the abyss and lock his lover in his arms, letting this whole incident fade into obscurity. But he couldn’t. Not now. Not for a long while. He needed time to forgive, to forget the bitter taste of being lied to.

“Scott…”

No words, no amount of love or apology in his lover’s eyes could keep him here now.

“See you around, Reyes,” he said, turning on his heels. As the door closed behind him he wondered briefly if the noise he heard was just the lock mechanism or a piece of his heart chipping away.

Later that day he received an email. Only three words, the sender encrypted.

_I’m truly sorry_.

The words echoed in his mind as he spent a sleepless night staring at the wall.

There was a long road to reconciliation in front of them.


	28. Call the Fashion Police

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott has a brilliant idea how to cheer his sister up. Reyes has his doubts. He still looks nice in neon pink though.
> 
> **Crack**

**I’m not wearing that**

 

 

“You must be joking,” Reyes huffed, staring at Scott as if the Pathfinder had just sprouted horns and a fluffy tail. “I’m not wearing that.”

“Oh come on, it will be fun!” Scott singsonged, pointing to the heaps of clothes stashed in his wardrobe – each worse than the last, all with clashing colors, ridiculous fabric and terrible cuts. The worst fashion disasters Andromeda had ever seen. “And besides, it’s for a good cause!”

“How is making an idiot out of myself going to help anybody?”

Using his biotics, Scott let various garments float in front of them, his gaze searching intently for the most outrageous pick.

“I told you. Sara is stuck in the Nexus med bay again and she’s going crazy from boredom. We need to cheer her up.”

“By dressing up as fabulous hobos?”

“She’ll love it, just you wait and see.”

Reyes let out a long-suffering sigh, rubbing his forehead.

“The things I do for you…”

Scott laughed and let one of the shirts smack Reyes right in the face.

“Less grumbling, more dressing.”

 

* * *

 

“Vetra? Could you come to my room for a moment?”

Vetra lifted her gaze from the gun she had been upgrading and looked with surprise at her omni-tool.

“Yeah, sure.”

On the way to the Pathfinder’s quarters, Vetra couldn’t help but wonder what was going on. Scott was the type of guy who preferred to go out to his crew rather than summon them to his own room. Especially during one of Reyes’ visits. They hardly needed an audience, right?

She pressed the button, opening the door. She took a step inside… and froze. Full body paralysis came over her as she took a good long look at the two men in front of her.

Scott was dressed in turquoise sweatpants, a neon pink translucent Blasto tank top, orange socks adorned with tiny silver stars, and purple oversized crocks. Big headphones hung casually around his neck. On his left wrist he had a rainbow bracelet, on the right a few garish rubber bands. And to top it all off, a pair of mauve party sunglasses stuck on his nose. Reyes wore an identical outfit, just in a slightly different color scheme (pink sweatpants, turquoise tank top, purple socks, orange crocks).

Vetra stared and stared and then stared some more, infinities upon infinities rolling by as her brain tried to process what she was seeing.

Eventually she gave up and shook her head, as if chasing the cursed images away.

“You know what, I don’t even want to know. Why did you call me?”

Scott’s smile was brighter than his top. The shirt, not Reyes—although the Charlatan, once he actually put on the outfit, had also started to radiate lethal doses of joy and excitement.

“Take a photo of us and send it to my omni-tool, okay?”

Vetra had reached an inner state of zen. “Sure. Whatever.”

“Okay!” Scott clapped his hands. “Let’s strike a pose. Three… two… one…”

Arms were extended, muscles flexed, confidence oozing from every pore.

“Done. The photo _and_ I,” said Vetra, forwarding the image on her merry way out of the nuthouse.

When the door closed behind her, Reyes turned to his boyfriend.

“Do you really think Sara will like it?”

“Oh yeah.” Scott giggled stupidly, sending the picture to his twin. “She’s gonna piss her pants.”

 

* * *

 

As it turned out, Sara’s reaction thankfully wasn’t as urinary as expected, although she had a fit of laughter so intense she had to be sedated. Doctor Carlyle sent Scott about a dozen angry emails, banning all inter-Ryder communication until Sara was well again.

“Worth it,” Scott decided with a smug nod. As was seeing Reyes rock the abominable outfit. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This prompt is super old but I'm still fond of it. If you want to see the pic of the boys in those beautiful outfits you can do it [here](http://scottryder-spacetwink.tumblr.com/post/160631833241/suns-out-guns-out-boyfriends-edition-again).


	29. Not so Powerless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott struggles with the choices he has made. Reyes is there to help him cope. 
> 
>  
> 
> **Hurt/comfort**

**Things you said that I wish you hadn’t**

 

People often misunderstood what drove Reyes to do the things he did, to claw his way up to the top no matter the cost. It wasn’t greed, although he enjoyed the finer things in life and having resources at his disposal had its obvious advantages.

It wasn’t the sheer hunger for power either. Being in charge of Andromeda’s most notorious, crime-ridden city was no bed of roses; he understood perfectly well the responsibility that came with wearing a metaphorical crown.

Nor was it the desire to be admired, put up on a pedestal. If that were the case, he wouldn’t be so content pulling all the strings from the shadows. No, everyone who thought they knew what fueled his ambitions were completely wrong.

He did these things so that he would never have to feel helpless again.

He’d had a fair share of that in his life, as he was forced to play silent witness to far too many vile deeds, unable to do anything about them. Watching his drunk of a father beat his mother, seeing her go and leave them behind, observing how the one who was supposed to take care of him spiraled lower and lower until rock bottom finally did him in. Being the Charlatan gave Reyes the opportunity to act, to take precautions, counter measures. He was in control now, able to mold the world to his liking.

Except it wasn’t always so. Sometimes no amount of power or resources could make a difference.

Reyes was painfully reminded of that as he held a crying Scott in his arms, cradling him against his chest in the confines of his private room in Tartarus. The feeling of helplessness, of not being able to do anything permeated him down to his bones. He hated it, hated with his whole being.

How could he make Scott feel better? How could he take away the pain? How could he lift the burden from his shoulders that seemed to have finally crushed him under its weight?

“You did your best, Scott, I’m sure of it,” he said, running his fingers through Scott’s hair in a soothing gesture. But it didn’t work, not this time. Scott pulled back, his red, puffy eyes filled with frenzy, despair.

“My best wasn’t enough!” he yelled and hid his face in his hands. A childish gesture, the most basic defense against the cruelty of the world. Reyes’ heart was breaking at the sight.

“Scott,” he said softly, pulling his hands away and making their eyes meet again. “You had to make tough choices, there was no other way. You couldn’t have saved everyone, that wasn’t possible. But thanks to you the salarian Pathfinder is alive. And you found their whole ark. That’s amazing.”

“But I let the kett keep the krogans from Drack’s team,” he replied, his voice hoarse and empty. “And that means a fate worse than we can even imagine, worse than death.” Scott took a shaky breath, a choked sob almost. He had unraveled completely, like never before. Reyes could only guess how hard it was for him to remain calm and collected in front of others as befitted a Pathfinder. This game of pretend, for someone as sensitive as Scott, must have been an unbelievably difficult ordeal. As much as he hated seeing his boyfriend in such a state, Reyes felt honored that Scott trusted him enough to have a breakdown in front of him.

“I’m sorry, Scott. But there was nothing more you could have done.”

Scott didn’t seem to hear what he was saying.

“I almost wish that SAM hadn’t revived me…” he said.

Reyes recoiled and glared at him, fire igniting in his veins. “Don’t even say that, don’t you dare.”

Scott avoided his gaze, hanging his head in shame. “I’m a failure. Dad should have let me die on Habitat-7. He would have been a much better Pathfinder than I ever will.”

Reyes shook his head adamantly, putting his hand on Scott’s cheek. The words burned him, scarred him, made him want to scream, but he forced himself not to raise his voice, to remain calm and supportive. His lover needed that. 

“Scott, you’re the best Pathfinder they could ever hope for.”

Scott laughed without mirth. “Yeah, right. Sniveling, making nothing but mistakes and questioning my every decision. Pathfinder of your dreams.”

“Those tears mean you care,” Reyes insisted. “You care so much it’s killing you. You would set yourself on fire to keep this galaxy warm.” He leaned closer, kissing the tears away from his lover’s face. Scott let him, closing his eyes. He trembled under his touch, the cauldron of destructive emotions still boiling deep within him. Reyes kept talking, his tone gentle, his lips brushing against his skin. “You literally died to save your friends and the people who counted on you. You made the best out of the worst situation. Everybody could have died, but you managed to save at least some of them. That’s something. That’s everything. You should be proud of yourself.”

Scott sighed, opening his eyes, his blue, tearful eyes, like oceans of sadness.

“I feel like all I do is let everyone down. I hate that.”

“You could never let me down. Never.”

Scott’s gaze softened. He said nothing, but shifted enough to hide his wet face in the crook of Reyes’ neck, wrapping his arms around him. At least he wasn’t crying anymore. Reyes held him close, stroking his hair.

“You’ve got this, Scott. I believe in you,” he said with conviction.

“I don’t. I’m a mess.”

“This whole galaxy is a mess, we are all a mess. We’re all struggling to achieve something. Sometimes without success no matter how hard we try, that’s just how it is,” he said, kissing his head. “You’re a beautiful mess, Scott. My beautiful mess. And you will save us from the kett or die trying. Although, to be perfectly honest, I must say that I’m not a big fan of that dying part. Please keep dying to an absolute minimum. Have mercy on my poor nerves, I’m not that young anymore.”

Scott let out a sound resembling a brief chuckle.

“I’ll keep that in mind next time I feel like asking SAM to stop my heart,” he replied. Reyes could swear he heard a shadow of a smile in his voice.

If he was able to make Scott smile again, then maybe he wasn’t so powerless after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These are all the prompts I've written so far. There's a chance for more but that depends on my inspiration and time. Thank you so much for reading and commenting, it always means a lot <3


	30. Smuggler's Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes in life you do get what you want...
> 
> **Fluff**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to [vodka-infused-unicorn](https://vodka-infused-unicorn.tumblr.com/) for checking this chapter!

Scott sighed, reaching for the last chip in a bowl. The credits on the final episode of “Space Smugglers” rolled unrelentingly, the theme sounding almost like a dirge to his ears.

“Damn… I wish they made another season,” he said, shaking off a few crumbs from Reyes’ arm. Totally Scott’s fault. He’d always been a messy eater.

“Perhaps they did,” Reyes hummed, pensively. “Six hundred years is plenty of time for a follow up. Or a reboot. Ten times over.”

Scott supposed he was right. Who knew what was currently going on back in the Milky Way? He put the empty bowl on a table, stretched his limbs after a few hours of relative disuse and promptly went back to cuddling with his boyfriend. The couch in Reyes’ apartment, although of dubious origin, was surprisingly comfortable. Perks of being the Charlatan.

“Yeah, but without the original cast it just wouldn’t be the same,” Scott said, not letting the topic die. “You know, I had a huge crush on the captain when I was a kid,” he admitted, unable to stop silly giggles.

“Really?” Reyes sounded amused.

“Yeah. I mean, he was so handsome, right?” Scott said with excitement, pulling back slightly to convey his agitation with flailing arms. “Those smoldering eyes, that hair, that voice, damn! And always such a badass full of savage one-liners. I wanted to date him so badly, you have no idea. I had like five posters of him on my wall. If he stepped on my face I’d thank him and beg for more.”

Now Reyes was laughing, his head thrown back, relaxed and happy. Scott loved him like that.

“What?” he asked, faking offence nonetheless. “It’s rude to mock people’s crushes.”

“No, it’s not it.” One last chuckle and Reyes went on. “I just had a poster of him too. Except, I wanted to _be_ him.”

“Is that so?” Scott grinned. “A badass smuggler with cheesy quips?”

“Exactly.”

“Guess you succeeded.”

“Guess so.”

“I definitely have a type.” In a feline motion, Scott climbed on Reyes’ lap and wrapped his arms around Reyes’ neck. “And now I’m dating my own bad boy.”

“Everyone getting what they want.” Reyes’ eyes crinkled with mirth. “Warms my heart.”

“I love happy endings.”

Both smiled into the sweet kiss they shared.


End file.
